The Thousand Year Arch
by Yami hitokiri
Summary: "We're here to make sure you don't screw up your destiny.""And what," the Thief King snarled,"Is my destiny?"Bakura smirked."To collect all of the Sennen Items.""All of the Egyptian Sennen Items,"Malik added."Not ours." BxRxTxMxYM MahaadoxPxYxYY KxJxSxK
1. The Truth of the Artifact!

Literally came up with title 5 seconds ago. Ok, like a minute ago. It's a play on the translaters name for the 5th season: _Millennium_ world.

I refuse to use the word "millennium" in this story. Thus the title. Thus why the Items are either called Sennen Items or Thousand Year Items. That ok with you guys?

Usually I have some clever thing for the chapter titles… I'll have to think of something better than "Chapter 1" Oooo, could I take the chapter titles from the actually manga? That might get confusing if they don't match up… I should check this out…(in the 30 seconds that have passed since writing the above statement I have pulled out my YGO mangas and yes! They do have chapter names! It's so obscure, it's perfect!)

By decree of the author (which is me), I… decree that this document, formally "chapter 1", be henceforth be called:

**

* * *

**

Chyaputa 1: The Truth of the Artifact!!

* * *

(seriously, this is the name of a chapter in volume 1 of Millennium World, (damn, millennium...))

* * *

The Thief King was definitely not in the best of moods that day. It was nearing sunset and he had just come back from fighting off several of the Pharaoh's tomb guards. He certainly wasn't looking for a prostitute that evening. And he didn't get one. Instead he got Malik.

Not that Malik hadn't been up for the job.

The Thief King first saw the boy when he entered his usual Inn that night for food and rest. He had found the youth sitting cross-legged on top of the Thief's _specially_ reserved table. Malik. The creature he would regret meeting for the rest of his life, and his continued existence thereafter.

The first thing he noticed was that this youth was not-unattractive. Extremely not-unattractive. Like a treasure in the muck of the Inn. His hair, the color of aged camel's milk or yellow sand, caught the Thief's eyes in seconds. There was a fascinating oddness about him. His clothes were foreign, strange. Too brightly colored for this rotten desert city. The youth was drawing exactly the wrong kind of attention from all the Inn's criminals.

Before the Thief even reached his table, the youth's bright violet eyes locked onto him. Like they had been following him all day.

His sculpted brow arched, as though the Thief was something to be approved. "Well… you're better than I expected." He examined the Thief in a very unsubtle way.

The Thief settled himself at the table. "And you are?"

The strange youth flashed a grin. "Food and drink, handsome?" and he slid a mug and a plate of bread and meat forward. "You must be tired."

Poison, was the Thief King's first thought. No, the approach was all wrong. This youth wanted something from him. The Thief King took a large swallow of the drink. It was good.

The stranger watched him. His eyes were so clear and, despite their odd color, the Thief knew exactly what they wanted from him. Money in return for services. There were plenty of women prostitutes, males were rare. The prostitutes that scrounged the bars were the diseased ones, temple prostitutes were much clearer, and as a perk they got you in good favor with the gods. This stranger fell into neither to category.

"Name's Malik," the youth said, still smiling. "I am already aware of your identity, Thief King."

"You seem to have gone through a lot of trouble seeking me out," the Thief gripped his drink. "So eager to get to know me."

Unashamed, Malik placed both hands on the tabletop so that he could lean closer. "That I am." His confidence was admirable. "I find you impossibly fascinating."

Playing with this youth would be fun. "And we've never even met."

Malik blinked. It was an odd motion. "Yes. Of course."

That sounded like a lie. But the Thief King didn't let it ruin the moment. It was clear what was going to happen next.

"I have a proposition for you." Still leaning on an arm. Malik took a piece of the bread from the plate between them and slid the food between the Thief's teeth.

The King of Thieves tasted the tips of Malik's fingers, scratched them with his teeth as they moved away. He didn't know why and he didn't care. He wanted this youth tonight. And he wanted him writhing beneath him. "How much?"

Malik's eyes laughed at him. "Nothing." And he tilted his head, as though weighing the Thief King for all the gold he was worth. "I don't want money."

"What do you want?" The Thief grabbed the front of the youth's tunic, dragging him forward.

For a second Malik seemed unprepared for this action, but mischief was fast to return to his expression. "You. In private."

The Thief could arrange that with ease. But for now. He got greedy, he was a thief, after all. It was his nature. He stole Malik's head, finishing the last foot so that their mouths could work together. And they did. Malik, perhaps startled by the Thief King's action, was slow to start but he was a fast learner. He brought friction to their movement.

After a few moments, Malik released himself. "Not exactly what I had in mind..."

There was no stopping the Thief's heat now. Without a word, he took Malik off the table, carrying him bodily to a backroom, the kind specially reserved for prostitute services.

The room was little more than a clay cave with a clothe shift for a door and a papyrus mattress on the floor. But it was all the Thief needed for his fix.

Malik was dropped on the floor, his body heaving. "Fuuuck," the boy moaned, his hands on the side of his head. "Oh no…"

The Thief slipped off his scarlet coat and joined him, smoothing Malik backward onto the floor and climbing on top of him.

"Hold it," Malik said, though his body was acting otherwise. The Thief tackled his neck. Malik's words weakened. "Hold…" his breathing increased, despite himself. "Oh."

The Thief was winning. His hands slipped down Malik's sides.

"Ok." Malik's eyes worked their way open. "Ok, _this_ wasn't the plan." He pressed his hands up on the Thief's shoulders.

The Thief, annoyed that the youth was talking while he was trying to concentrate on his work, did not stop. He shoved the boy's arms back to the ground. "Thought you wanted to get to know me," the Thief urged his prey.

But Malik was annoying insistent. "I said, _hold on_."

The Thief was kicked, hard, in the gut. But it wasn't by Malik. Some other force had flung him off of the youth and slammed him into the opposite wall.

Needless to say, fury exploded in the Thief's brain.

He thrust himself off the floor to see Malik sit up, looking rather disappointed. "Here, we go."

"What the fuck are you playing at?" the Thief demanded, pissed.

Malik sighed and grumbled something under his breath like, "Why does this shit always happen to me?" Then he faced the Thief King with a crooked smile. "Very sorry. I think you got the wrong message, well not the _wrong_ message—from me it wasn't—But I said I had a proposition for you."

The Thief couldn't believe this. His intuition was never wrong. "The private room?"

"I couldn't very well show you this in front of the other criminals." And, reaching behind him, Malik yanked out a solid gold stick, emblazed with the Pharaoh's eye.

And with that simple treasure the Thief's evening was ruined. And all he had wanted was a good fuck.

"This," Malik presented with the some pride, "Is the Sennen Rod. Listening now?"

Ridiculous. What this kid called the "Sennen" Rod was the legendary Thousand Year Rod. To have gotten a hold of the Item, this clean conspicuous youth would have had to kill its previous wielder, one of the Pharaoh's priests. And the Thief King would have known if _that_ had happened. The whole city would be afire with the scandal. "Don't speak blasphemy."

Malik laughed.

The Thief was suddenly filled with the overwhelming sensation to kill the youth.

"Sorry," Malik smiled, so unnatural, like his reaction, his garments, his fickle moods. "I just never thought _you'd_…" He dropped his copper fingers to touch the length of the Rod. "Nothing…"

This was not what the Thief had wanted for this evening. How could a kid get his hands on a Thousand Year Item, when the Thief King had spent years simply devising how to get one? It was impossible. Enraged, the Thief fingered his robes for one of his hidden daggers.

But he couldn't find any. The Thief searched all the usual spots. Not a single one. Now he was pissed.

"How the fuck…"

Malik had turned disgustingly casual about the whole thing. "I had hoped I wouldn't have to use it on you. Your head is so pretty too."

Damn kid was a trickster. "What did you do?"

Malik breathed, getting his ill-placed composure back. "Simple memory modification. Made you forget where your daggers are."

"Is that the power of the Thousand Year Rod?" the Thief King questioned.

The kid shrugged. "Some of its powers."

"Where did you get it?"

"It came to me, from my father."

Father? The Thief frowned. "The priest of the Thousand Year Rod is young. He has no heir yet."

"Well, _maybe_ the priest of the _Thousand Year_ Rod isn't my father," Malik corrected, impatiently.

The Thief didn't understand the inflections of the youth's statement.

"Is that not the Thousand Year Rod?" the King of Thieves barked, irritated now.

"_No_… and yes," Malik rolled his eyes. "As I said, this is the _Sennen_ Rod." He twisted the golden Rod in the air, displaying it before him. "I'm not trying to fight you. I'm supposed to be helping you out."

The Thief did not move. He hated riddles. He hated complications. This youth made no sense.

"My proposition is this," Malik lounged on the papyrus mat as though he owned it. "I can get you a Sennen Item."

"The one in your grasp would suffice," the Thief snapped.

Malik's smile flickered back. "Not mine. One that will benefit both my cause and yours."

What did this foreigner presume to know about his _cause_? "And how do you plan to acquire me this treasure?" Not to mention why.

"I will tell you where and when you can find the person with the Item." Malik shuffled his sandy bangs out of his eyes. "All you have to do is take it."

"Why?" the Thief demanded. He was sick of this game. "Why would you get me such a powerful Item and not take it for yourself?"

"Cause I don't need another one," Malik announced, reeking with pompousness. "This isn't about me. It's all about you. _You_ and _your_ destruction of the state." Now it was like the youth was mocking him.

The Thief was only getting more pissed. "What are you talking—"

But Malik jumped to his feet. For a second his eyes were mesmerized by the shaft of orange light lying between the curtains, a sign of the dying sun outside. "Sorry, don't mean to cut this lovely meeting short but I've got places to visit. If you're interested in my proposition, meet back here, tomorrow, early afternoon."

"Wait a fucking second," the Thief ordered. But as he turned to chase after the youth he found Malik's finger pressed against his mouth. How he'd let the kid get so close to him? The King of Thieves fumed.

Malik looked up at him, and there was a look in his eye that was far from cocky. "I really would have slept with you… just so you know."

And when the boy couldn't get more frustrating, he left.

The Thief remained with a sour taste in his mouth. He _really_ hated riddles.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The news ran fast, for as soon as the Pharaoh had seen that bright star fall from the sky right outside the city he had sent his guards to investigate its fall. They came back with news of strangers, foreigners of odd-colored skin and strange powers. Though they had been spotted all around the city, they had so far eluded capture. Still… strange powers? This was a threat. Perhaps a sign from the gods?

Three days had passed since the star had fallen and still the Pharaoh's servants on the streets were bringing him new stories of strange encounters, sights of these pale-skinned demons.

It must be a sign. But what could the gods be trying to tell him? With the old Pharaoh so recently dead and now an increase of tomb robbing? Though the Pharaoh himself was only of 18 flood cycles, he had been trained all his life for this position, and no amount of broken tombs and assassination attempts would intimidate him into hiding just yet.

The Pharaoh leaned against the cool stone of his palace, the gold and lapis of his adornments glowed in the night. He was distracted, not even his dancers or his harem could take his mind off that fallen star and those stories…

'What will happen, father?' the Pharaoh asked the sky. 'Is this to test me?'

There was one aspect of the stories that was particularly troubling. Several times, these new demons were said to have "golden items"…

Golden items?

The Pharaoh held up Thousand Year Puzzle, studying it as he had never before.

'They cannot mean the Thousand Year Items,' the King decided. Those tools of justice were all accounted for, held by him and his six priests. The Pharaoh's fingers traced the corners of his Thousand Year Puzzle.

He had no choice but to wait for the answer to his questions.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"He's close," Malik announced.

A muscle in the Thief's brow twitched. Malik, was his impossible conspicuousness, was the last thing he needed on an important mission.

The youth, Malik, had been a mistake. After last night's disappointment, looking at Malik's flawless face only made the Thief angry, and when he was angry he did careless things. He could not afford to be careless, not when there was a Thousand Year Item to take…

He didn't know why Malik had insisted on a surprise attack during the day. It was illogical. At least screams and scuffles frequented this part of the city so no one would notice.

Malik scrambled for a fresh footing; the rattle gave away their position.

The Thief glared at Malik, conveying: _Silence or death_.

Malik rolled his eyes.

The Thief hated having a partner. It made things complicated. The only associate he ever needed was the ever-loyal, ever-_silent_ Diaboundo, who really wasn't another person anyway… But then Thief also hated the dryness of the air. He hated how the bright sun lit the disgusting the city, illuminating the filth of the clay houses and stick huts, the hunchbacked villagers.

How it fell on the obelisks of the palace…

Malik tapped him vigorously on the forearm as two figures rounded into the alley.

One of them had hair paler than Malik's, as white as the moon. A shade that matched the Thief's. But the skin was as white as the hair. Foreigners? With Thousand Year Items? This person had tried to cover its paleness with a wrap of coarse wool. And the smell of gold was ripe in the air…

Then there was another figure, shorter, also covered in a ragged cloth. His skin was also lighter than any native to the land of Egypt. In the few seconds that the Thief had time to examine them, the two unsuspecting targets exchanged words in an unknown language.

Malik was hissing something at him but the Thief did not listen, he knew which of these two foreigners was his target.

Diaboundo pulsing in his chest, the Thief broke free of the roof and pounced upon them.

Before his feet had reached the ground, he heard the cry from his target, "_Abunai!_" His silver prey jumped in front of the other, his pale outspread arms flung his outer garment away, revealing more pale skin and odd colored clothing. The dagger was out, at the Thief's side like a good companion, like his Diaboundo that thudded away in his heart.

His pale prey screamed, "_Nigette, Yugi-kun!_"

The Thief jumped forward, grabbed the prey, twisted him around, and held a dagger to his pale throat.

"_No_!" Malik cried, stumbling clumsily down from his spot on the roof. "You've got the _wrong_ one!"

But the Thief wasn't about to release his prize. The prey in his hold was shivering with fear. Finally a foreigner who obeyed. The other prey had disappeared.

"M-Malik-kun?" the Thief's captive choked, with lots of fear.

Malik had finally gotten down from the roof. And then he dared to gotten to approach the Thief's captive, reassuring him in the same foreign tongue. "Daijoubu, hontoni daijoubu da, Ryou-kun."

The Thief _hated_ complications.

And even though the last two days had been full of unusual occurrences, the Thief could not have expected what happened next.

The air changed. The smell of gold exploded in a flash of yellow light from inside the Thief's captive's shirt. And a second later the Thief's arms were ripped open as he was thrown backward, smashed into the dried-mud wall behind him.

The golden Thousand Year Ring melted through the silver prey's tunic. But when the Thief looked at the prey's face again… it… was… changed? A cruel face. Eyes that had seen- no- that _spoke_ death. Not at all like the face of the boy that had stood in terror as he protected his companion only a second ago.

This was not the same face. It was not the same…

The Thief was ready to fight, but with another bright flash from the Thousand Year Ring the Thief found himself paralyzed. A curse? Undoubtedly.

Malik ran up to this new pale death-guy, foreign phrases pouring out of his rapid lips. This new opponent snarled back in the same tongue.

Diaboundo was not happy with being confined, but that problem was easily solved. With a snap, in which the very air complained, the invisible binds were ripped apart by Diaboundo's invisible fangs. The Thief was at his feet, ready to kill both of these strangers and take their Items…

But when the Thief charged forward to punish these foreigners- _WHAM_! Malik whacked his skull with the head of his Thousand Year Rod. The Thief's brain matter cracked, opened by the Rod. And white light poured out. Diaboundo was not happy. And something burning was being forced into his mind, something alien…

"…I said keep him _occupied_. Couldn't follow that _simple_ instruction."

"I didn't know _you'd_ be here! _You_ didn't _trust_ me with the whole plan!"

"You wonder why I _don't_?"

The Thief opened his eyes. The scene was the same, neither stranger was taking notice of him.

"I was in a perfect position," the pale intruder growled, vibrating with rage. "The host trusted me. I _could_ have kept them in line."

"We weren't aiming for _you_, I _told_ him that! We were aiming for Yugi, his Puz—"

"_Fool_!" his words burned. Even the Thief knew this was no one to cross carelessly. "And if he _had_ gotten the Item? Can you comprehend what that would _do_?"

Malik retreated, pouting immaturely. He rotated onto the Thief, changing the topic to save himself. "Can you understand us now?"

"Unfortunately," Thief growled. Knives were at his fingertips, he counted them three times. He would not take chances with this new arrival. He was far more dangerous than Malik.

Malik grinned at the death-guy. "Ain't he amazing?"

The death-guy twisted fully away from the Thief King. "I don't want to see _him_."

The Thief frowned. "Did I kill an acquaintance of yours?"

The new opponent ignored him, and that pissed the Thief off.

"Aww, don't hurt his feelings," Malik cooed, a copper hand touching his dangerous companion on the shoulder.

There was no mercy in the death-guy's voice. "I _told_ you. _No_ contact. You have ruined our mission."

"Calm down! God, man. He hasn't done anything yet!" Malik cried.

The Thief was sick of this. Hated being talked about like he wasn't there. Like he was safe.

The exact moment the daggers jumped into the Thief's hands, the death-guy, without even turning around, barked, "Don't think about it. You're no match."

The Thief scoffed. "Care to test that? _Don't_ underestimate me."

"I am fully aware of your capabilities, _thief_."

And then the death-guy dared, _dared_ to once again turn away.

This curt dismissal was too much. The Thief would not tolerate such disrespect, someone who would not acknowledge his power. He had been promised a Thousand Year Item after all…

With a violent burst of energy, Diaboundo, as instructed, pounced upon Malik, invisible clawed hands pinning the youth to the dirt street.

Malik cried out, in pain, in fear, which was all good. His Rod had been knocked out of his hands out of sheer surprise. Now Malik would die and that Item would be his…

"Behave yourself."

The death-guy reached out and fearlessly his fingertips brushed Diaboundo's invisible hide, as though the spirit were nothing but a colleague. Then, even more impossible, Diaboundo shuddered in discomfort and shot back into the King of Thieves self. The shock stunned the Thief into silence.

Malik gasped. "_Fuck_!" He snatched up his Thousand Year Item and jumped to his feet. "Why is it always _me_?"

The Thief would not answer. How. How had that death-guy… Diaboundo should _not_- could not respond to anyone but him. Was this guy _that_ powerful? Diaboundo had shuddered, had felt revolted. Something was odd and the Thief didn't like it.

Malik breathed. "Ok." Both hands on his Thousand Year Rod, grip tight, Malik took a step in between the two opponents. "This is all too confusing." He turned to the death-guy. "We've got to tell him—"

"No," and the death-guy didn't budge when he said this, facing away from the conversation.

"But he's got to understand—"

"_No_."

The Thief was pissed.

Malik crossed his arms over his chest, an immature pout on his lips. "And what about Yugi, huh? You know where he's headed. You know he's going to help—"

"Do you think whoring yourself to him last night _helped_ the situation?" the death-guy snapped.

Malik recoiled. He knew about Malik's lack of performance the previous night? How? Did the death-guy know everything?

Still clutching his Rod with unnecessary need, Malik leaned toward his fellow. "Bakura…"

Bakura? But Malik had called him- what was it- Ryou before? Hadn't he? It wasn't something that the Thief usually missed.

"We have no choice," the death-guy snapped. His pale arms, the same color as his hair, were tense. "I was arrogant to believe I could change this."

"You speak in riddles, senile fool," the Thief responded.

The death-guy twisted, granting the Thief King for the first time with his attention. And now the Thief could study his angular face. It was a cruel expression with black eyes. He was too skinny, his physical body too weak to support that golden Ring around his neck. "We will have to watch him."

"Watch me? I thought you were going to serve me?"

The death-guy was immovable. "We're here to make sure you don't screw up your destiny, thief."

"And what," the King of Thieves snarled, "Is my destiny?"

The death-guy smirked. "To collect all of the Sennen Items."

"All of the _Egyptian_ Sennen Items," Malik added. "Not ours."

The Thief resisted getting excited just yet. There was a catch. There always was on something this good. "Wouldn't it be easier to take them if I used your Items?"

The death-guy was not amused. "You don't need them. You're strong enough."

"Then how are you two supposed to help?" the Thief demanded. "By watching?"

The death-guy looked uninterested as if he were explaining something to a child. "There are some new, unwelcome players in this game."

"_And_?" the Thief demanded. He didn't understand and he was angry that he to keep questioning this irritating person.

"They will be helping the other side," Malik explained even though it wasn't his place.

"We're the balance," the death-guy clarified.

"_How_?" the Thief snarled, his hands making fists. He didn't understand, this was too complicated, there were too many players, too many accomplices to screw up.

The death-guy turned away. "Do you care? You are guaranteed all of your Items. That's all that you should worry about."

The Thief snarled, "Who are you?"

The death-guy, sometimes called Bakura, sometimes called Ryou, just stared. "No one that you should worry about."

Malik opened his mouth but was shut up by a look.

The Thief King let his anger wash through him. For now he would let the matter go. Once he got close to these two foreigners, he'd find their weakness and dispose of them, taking their Items for him. This death-guy's riddles were useless. The could be no important reason why his eyes were so black.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

OOOoooo! Doesn't this look interesting??? Intrigued???

And you all thought I had stopped writing... silly readers.

Yes, I do take Japanese. Yes, I'm shitty at it. There will not be a lot of Japanese in this fic. If you want the translations I can post them next chapter, but really they're not essential.

I'm not expecting a lot of reviews (since I have been gone for so long), but I would appreciate the feedback!

So poor Pharaoh only got a narrative scene. What a waste of his talents. Don't worry, Yugi's the star of the next chapter. There's no need to cry. Seriously

**REVIEW!! DO IT! IT'S FUN! (for me… and for you! But mostly for me… and you…)**


	2. The Millennium Treasure

If you want to read a story that is so bad and yet so good and yet so bad and yet really retarded (don't worry, my friend wrote it as a gag) then you should read this fic: **Bakura's Beginnings** by Syhren (I dare you. I double dog dare you)

So I've been looking up things I shouldn't. Did you know there is a website called wikific? It's all about YGO fanfiction. Apparently there is a list of the official YGO pairings. (question: who made them official??????) Tendershipping is 17th, Prideshipping is 10, Kleptoshipping is 7th????? (wtf???) and Angstshipping is 1st????? What am I doing with my life?

Anywho, this chapter was a little late. Thanks for all you pals sticking to it!

See you at the bottom of this document.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 2: The Millennium Treasure **

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

And to think, the life of Mutou Yugi had become so normal, or as normal as it could get with a three thousand year old Sennen Puzzle around his neck and an ancient Egyptian spirit in his brain. Yes, Yugi had gotten used to his sometimes rocky lifestyle, being the target of strange underground gaming organizations, seeing himself on life-sized dueling posters. It had been enough for him.

And now… Now Yugi was crouched in the corner of stone courtyard, heart beating so fast that it knocked against the Sennen Puzzle as his breathed. The rag that he had stolen for disguise still smelled of animal dung and sour milk. But he couldn't wash it. He had no water, not even to drink. He had only managed to get food because Bakura had stolen a couple of wrinkled fruits off a stand in the market place for them to share. But that had been yesterday, three days after they had arrived in this city, in this time…

Now Bakura Ryou was gone, kidnapped, murdered? Or worse…

/Don't worry, the spirit of the Sennen Ring will protect him,/ Yugi's other self assured him.

'I know,' Yugi answered with a swallow.

Before Bakura Ryou had disappeared on that terrifying night, he had suggested that they go up to the palace, the place most likely to find a Pharaoh. Why they had to find the Pharaoh though was still unclear…

/It was probably the _other_ Bakura's suggestion,/ the other Yugi noted.

'Still, what else could we possibly do?' Yugi pointed out.

The spirit of the Sennen Puzzle conceded. And so they had continued on to the palace. They hadn't done so badly on their own. Sneaking in on a food cart, they had made it to the kitchens and then around the outside of the great stone walls to find themselves in a garden. The greenery was welcoming after spending so much time in the barren dirt streets of the city.

Ever since they had made it passed those well guarded gates, Yugi's lungs had been compressed by fear, certain of their eventually discovery. They'd be carried off to what prison? Or perhaps they just killed trespassers during this time? What chance did they have of seeing the Pharaoh at all…?

Seeing the Pharaoh…

Yugi's own excitement contributed to his struggle to breathe. The Pharaoh. His other self in his original body. Yugi would be able to see him, alive, healthy… with memories. The prospect was so fantastic Yugi dared to let himself fantasize asking the Pharaoh questions of his childhood, watching his own human mannerisms, studying the way he ate… It was all very distracting when Yugi was trying so hard to be silent.

/Aibou!/ It was a warning; his other half had sensed someone was coming.

Dropping like a rock, Yugi fell against the wall behind a spread of small shiny-leafed trees. He took several compressed breathes against the stone floor, grains of sand sticking to his chapped lips.

A scrape of feet against the ground made Yugi flinch. A group of five or so men, some with clanking weapons, were making their way through the garden. A patrol? Possibly. As long as they didn't see Yugi in his hiding…

Then there was silence and Yugi dared to creep upwards out of the foliage. The group of Egyptians were on the far side of the garden. There were four soldier-looking guys with spears and one cleanly dressed Egyptian with a golden helm. Yugi did not fail to notice the golden pendant around the noble's neck

'The Sennen Ring…'

/We're in the right place,/ the spirit commented.

As the group left, Yugi gathered his wits and stood once again, but when he did, he was too fixated on the appearance of the Sennen Ring to look where he was going…

/Aibou!/

An outraged cry in a foreign language made Yugi jump.

And there _he_ was.

There was no mistaking that hair, that identical golden Puzzle, those eyes, those eyes… those angry eyes.

It was the Pharaoh. And he was angry, or he must have been because he shouted at Yugi quite fiercely and then charged at him, hand out stretched.

Yugi was so stunned and so unprepared for this encounter that he didn't even notice the guards reentering the garden behind him, all he heard was his other half screaming, /Aibou! _Aibou_!/ in his brain. Yugi tried to remain perfectly still and un-hostile through the chaos, until he felt a hand grasping for the chain around his neck.

"_No_!" Yugi cried and clutching the Puzzle to his chest, the edges of the metal object digging into his arms. "Please _no_!" But there were larger, stronger arms than his, ones holding sharpened metal to his throat and ones that yanked him back and forth in the confusion.

In one jolting blot to the head, Yugi's body shook and then the Puzzle was ripped from his sweaty fingers, over his head.

"No! You can't!" Yugi screamed. "Give him back-" Another blow to his knees sent Yugi into the dirt where a heavy body held him down. But he never took his eyes off the Puzzle, never stopped reaching for it. "_Please_! You _don't_ understand! You'll make it angry!"

And sure enough, as Yugi had seen before, back in the days when he and his other half didn't talk to each other, the Puzzle hummed a sinister song. The guard holding it was mesmerized for a second and then he too shrieked in terror, a note that was understood in any language. The object dropped from the guard's hands but it was still too far away for Yugi to reach it.

The entire group hesitated, wary eyes fixed on the second golden pyramid. The Pharaoh looked particularly alarmed, the Egyptian noble beside him murmuring surprised phrases, or perhaps prayers, under his breath. None of the guards would touch Yugi's Puzzle now that their fellow was crinkled on the ground in pain.

"Please," Yugi pleaded. He searched for a sympathetic stare and found only the Pharaoh would meet his eyes. "Please! I _need_ him! I love him! _Please_! Just give him back to me."

Yugi's throat and cheeks were thick with tears. The Pharaoh watched him for a moment before jumping to the ground and picking up the Sennen Puzzle himself.

A flash of blinding light. Yugi's Puzzle in his hand and the Pharaoh's Puzzle around his neck were completely identical in their brilliance. When the light stopped and the ringing in his ears ceased, Yugi was relieved to see that the King of Egypt did not seem to be physically harmed.

"I'm sorry," Yugi began again, and this time the Pharaoh's dazed stare jumped, startled onto Yugi. "I'm sorry. I mean no harm, Please, I just want him back…"

The Pharaoh stared. Then, "Speak again," the King of Egypt commanded.

Yugi gasped. Relief was beautiful. "You speak Japanese?!" No. That was impossible. There was no way he knew _modern_ Japanese.

"No, I do not…" the Pharaoh glanced between at the two Puzzles.

It was clear that the rest of the Egyptians were as shocked as the Pharaoh to hear him speak another language. But Yugi had to take this chance.

"Please, mou hi-" Yugi swallowed his words. "Please, I know this looks confusing, and believe me, I don't have any idea what's going on, but you have to listen. I _need_ my Puzzle back. You don't understand how important it is. _Please_."

The guards were whispering to each other, their wounded companion still whimpering upon the ground. The nobleman with the Sennen Ring was silent but his attention was on the Pharaoh. And the Pharaoh… his eyes, his ruby red eyes, were wide and…

While in their soulrooms or the consciousness, Yugi often looked into his darker half's eyes. It was always an experience, endlessly deep, very easy to get lost in. But the Pharaoh's eyes showed everything, every flicker of emotion. Now he was confused, shocked. Then a shade of determination fixed over his brow.

Yugi watched as the King's arm swung forward, despite the protest from the nobleman with the Sennen Ring beside him, and dropped the Puzzle on the ground an inch in front of Yugi's face.

"Release him," the Pharaoh barked. The guard on top of Yugi twitched but did not move; he couldn't understand for the Pharaoh was still speaking Japanese. The King of Egypt physically shoved the guard off of Yugi's back. As soon as he could move Yugi jumped on the fallen Sennen Puzzle.

'Mou hitori no boku?' Yugi called frantically, hugging the Puzzle so hard that the sharp points hurt his chest.

/I'm here, aibou. What happened?/

Yugi would have told him, but the Pharaoh had grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. Yugi stumbled for footing when, against his will, the Pharaoh pressed Yugi's free hand to the King's Puzzle. For a second Yugi was touching both Puzzles, then a shock ran through Yugi's skin, as though his body could not handle this paradox. Heat seared throughout Yugi's muscles. His brain gave a little jolt and it was as though something had penetrated its way into Yugi's brain. It stung.

Through the discomfort, Yugi heard the Pharaoh question in a harsh tone "Do you understand me now?" It was a demand, not a request.

Yugi choked, burnt hand retreating away from the foreign Sennen Puzzle. "Y-yes?"

"You are speaking the Egyptian tongue," the King told him.

"Am I?" Yugi gasped. But he could understand his words, as well as if he were speaking his native Japanese. What was going on? "But how could…" Yes, his tongue did feel stretched speaking these new words.

But Yugi didn't have time to figure this new mystery out, for the King of Egypt tugged him forward into a brisk walk. "Come," he ordered. Yugi stumbled along in his royal wake as the Pharaoh ignored countless guards and other finely dressed nobles. He dragged Yugi down several corridors and then up carved steps into…

A room draped in exotic fabrics, thick with waxy perfumes. It was glowing with wealth.

The Pharaoh tossed Yugi down, dirt encrusted clothes, milk-smelling rag and all, onto an elegant drop of pillows. Yugi clutched at his Puzzle until his fingers were sore. The Pharaoh stood over him, ten times more intimidating than his mou hitori no boku could ever be…

"Who are you?" he ordered, eyes hot with anger, pride, confusion.

Yugi stammered. "I-I- Mutou Yugi."

The Pharaoh was impatient. "I did not ask for your name."

Yugi was stunned by the hostile edge to the King of Egypt's voice. "I'm just- me. A kid. I don't know why-"

"Are you here to threaten my Kingdom?"

"No!" Yugi cried, flustered. What should he say? How could he explain? "Never! I thought… Maybe…"

"Is this a trick? Are you a demon? Are you here to upset the balance of my country?" the Pharaoh interrogated, face rigid with unkindness.

"No!" Yugi cried and the room dropped into silence. "I don't know why I'm here! I just thought I had to find you!"

The Pharaoh paused, interested? Concerned? His stare was blank. "Find me, you say?"

Yugi breathed. "I wanted to see you… because… well, isn't it obvious?" Yugi lifted up his Puzzle, but not far enough away from his body to put it in danger again. "I don't understand what's going on either."

The King paused. His eyes were relentless but at least Yugi could see him calming himself, examining this new riddle.

"How did you come by your Thousand Year Puzzle?"

Yugi found his throat difficult to manage. How much should he tell him? Was there any reason why he shouldn't? Wasn't there something about a space-time-continuum or something? But hadn't that already been ruined?

/Aibou./ The spirit of the Puzzle sent cooling waves into the consciousness. /It's ok. I'm here./

Yugi breathed, taking strength in the fact that he wasn't alone. "It's mine," he said truthfully. And then when he saw the Pharaoh's eyes flash with dangerous possessiveness he added, "I solved it."

"_Solved_ it? _You_?" Emotions poured into his red eyes, overrun with shock, disbelief. It was disturbing how easy it was to read him. "None but the royal line can solve it."

Yugi didn't know how to explain, so he didn't.

The Pharaoh shook his head and began to pace. "How- _why_ are there two Puzzles? _If_ they are both legitimate," he corrected himself.

Yugi flinched, bowing his head instinctively. "Sorry. I _really_ don't know."

This had not been what Yugi had expected, not that he had known what would happen. But this… this was so… he was too different from…

But the Pharaoh wasn't done this his interrogation. "Where are you from?"

Yugi's stomach ached. Finally, something he knew the answer to. "Japan."

The Pharaoh frowned. "Where is that?"

Yugi pulled his Puzzle closer. "It's a country, um… really, _really_ far away."

'That's kinda true,' he admitted to himself.

"And in your country, they all wear clothes like yours…"

Yugi didn't know why this was important, but it was at least an easier topic. "Not exactly, but similar," Yugi said awkwardly.

The Pharaoh's stance was stiff. "Stand up."

Yugi jumped to his feet, breath short. And then completely unprepared, the Pharaoh closed in on Yugi without warning, without…

His bronze-skinned hands were on him, tugging at the fabric of Yugi's uniform jacket, fingers pressing into his undershirt, poking at the leather belt around Yugi's neck.

The Pharaoh's eyebrows rose. "It's smooth." Suddenly without warning, reached down and grabbed Yugi's jeans, which was the same thing as grabbing Yugi's leg…

Yugi fell backward, tripped over his own feet and then fell back down upon the pillows.

/Aibou!/

The Pharaoh stared, offended.

Yugi squeaked, "Sorry! I just- where I come from…"

The Pharaoh never took his crimson stare off of Yugi.

'I'm ok,' Yugi reassured the spirit of the Puzzle.

Truthfully, it had been too weird. His mou hitori no boku could not touch him, it was impossible since he didn't have a body. But this Pharaoh was able to just come up to Yugi and… and the smell of him, exotic Egyptian spices of plants Yugi must have studied in school. Yugi could examine his skin up close, the royal make up, what was that stuff called? Kohl? This was all happening too fast!

"Sorry," Yugi gulped. "It's just. Seeing you after all this- _you_… Well, you wouldn't know…"

"You are aware of me in your country that is… 'really really far away'," Pharaoh observed. Perhaps he was intrigued.

Yugi nodded.

"Tell me what you know," the Pharaoh ordered.

Yugi hesitated. 'Mou hitori no boku? What do I say?'

/Don't tell him about me,/ the spirit of the Puzzle answered, and the voice in the consciousness was hushed as though trying to whisper. Did he think the Pharaoh might over hear?

"I want to know," the King of Egypt ordered. The way he spoke… it was as if he honestly expected to be obeyed. Which he probably was most of the time, being the Pharaoh.

"Well," Yugi began awkwardly. "I've heard stories. And there's a carving of you on this stone- stone tablet in a museum."

The King didn't seem surprised that his figure would be depicted on a tablet. "A stone of me in your country? Your land must not as alien as it seems." Yugi bit his lip. And the Pharaoh noticed his look of awkwardness. "What? Was my name not in good taste?"

"No…" Yugi reassured, but turned his head away and hoped that the king would take the hint and not ask again.

But he didn't. "Why do you not speak?" His voice was firmer this time, more demanding.

Yugi squirmed with discomfort. "I don't even know why I'm here."

"How did you get here?" the Pharaoh ordered.

Yugi bowed his head, running his fingers over his Puzzle. "The Sennen Items. They- I don't know- _took_ us here."

A strange interest glowed in the King of Egypt's eyes. "Us? There are more of you."

'Should I have told him that?' Yugi asked.

/Too late now. Be vague. Don't mention names./ the spirit instructed.

"I think so…" Yugi shrugged and dropped his gaze. "There are seven Sennen Items, aren't there?"

"So you know of the others Items," the Pharaoh concluded.

"Yes," Yugi admitted, figuring that information was harmless.

The King of Egypt crossed his arms over his chest, jaw set. His eyes went distant; he was thinking. "You arrived in the star four nights ago?"

"A star?" Honestly, Yugi was baffled.

"Just beyond my city, there was a bright light that fell from the sky. That was you, Mutou Yugi, was it not?"

/It makes sense,/ the spirit added.

Yugi thought about this. "I suppose so. That was when I remember waking up in the sand. And you can call me Yugi. Everyone does."

The corner of the Pharaoh's mouth crinkled; it was not exactly a smile. "You are unmistakably odd. No one has ever corrected the Pharaoh."

Yugi panicked. Had that been offensive? Had he just insulted the greatest this country's absolute ruler? Would he get thrown in prison? "No! I-I wasn't trying to correct you! I just-"

"Yet you continue to do so," the Pharaoh interrupted.

Yugi bowed his head. "Sorry."

"And as we speak you look at my face. No common person is allowed to look into the eyes of god."

God? Memories of 7th grade came rushing back. The Pharaoh was seen as a god in Egypt, as part god at least. Was that right? Had Yugi been embarrassing himself this entire time? Would he be tortured? Beheaded?

So Yugi stumbled off the cushions and got down on his knees in the deepest bow he had even attempted, Puzzle still clutched at his chest. "I'm so very sorry, your- um- Majesty?"

But the Pharaoh continued as though Yugi hadn't moved at all. "You will address me as 'My Pharaoh.'"

It actually hurt Yugi's stomach to recognize how different this Pharaoh was from his modern counterpart. This was not the tender and complex spirit that Yugi had come to know and love. He was demanding, aloof. But that wasn't his fault, right? He was the Pharaoh. He was raised to be a king, to be a god. Yugi couldn't expect anything else.

"Stand," the King ordered. And Yugi obeyed, but this time he made sure that his eyes were fixed on the Pharaoh's knees.

"_Now_ you hide your gaze? It is too late. You have already revealed your true manners to me."

"I'm sorry," Yugi apologize and would again and again.

The shock of a hand, this one on Yugi's chin. Yugi flinched, but let that alien hand lift his face. "From this moment forth you shall always look at my face when I enter, do you understand?" the King proclaimed so officially that it might have been law.

Yugi gulped and nodded. The Pharaoh was so close, so close that Yugi was feeling uncomfortably… uncomfortable. Flustered. Those red red eyes jumped into his. It was a shock, one that undoubtedly showed on Yugi's face.

"That," the Pharaoh said, dropping his hand, "Pleases me greatly." And it was strange but the King of Egypt grinned at Yugi in a way the 17 year old boy was not used to.

Yugi didn't know what to say. But he clutched his Puzzle harder as though it was about to be ripped from his arms again.

"I need to learn more about you, Mutou Yugi. Clearly you are something sent to me from the gods. You must be of some use. You are to stay in the palace. I will give you food and anything you could possibly need."

Yugi bit his lip, trying not to argue. "Thank you." What was he now? A prisoner? A guest? Could he leave if he wanted to? Where would he go?

'No,' Yugi told himself. 'This is the best situation we could have hoped for. We're not being locked up, I think, and we'll be able to see the Pharaoh. None of this is bad. I can learn about him, about how mou hitori no boku was when he was alive. That must be why I am here.'

The spirit in his Puzzle seemed less convinced.

"You will keep out of sight," the Pharaoh continued, unaware of Yugi's internal monologue. "I don't want my subjects to know that there are two Thousand Year Puzzles."

That was probably wise. Yugi didn't want people to react the way the Pharaoh and his guards had when they first saw him.

"Maahado will take care of you. One of my most trusted priests."

"What about you?" Yugi asked be he could stop himself.

The Pharaoh smiled, lips stretched, but it filled Yugi with an odd sense of shame. "I will visit you."

Yugi was disappointed. But he really should be more careful with his facial expressions.

The Pharaoh flashed a smile. "I see that you are interested in me. Trust that I will not forget that."

And with those odd words he left, without looking back, leaving Yugi dumbstruck and weak in the knees.

'Mou hitori no boku, he's so… intimating. He doesn't seem like you at all,' Yugi thought with shame, his stomach rolling with emotions.

/I don't think we're that different,/ the spirit answered.

Yugi wanted to argue this point but stopped himself. He had never actually seen his other self when he faced an opponent, when he was at his most powerful.

'Could it be… this is what it feels like to be mou hitori no boku's enemy?' Yugi wondered. He couldn't make assumptions yet, they had only just met after all. The Pharaoh had a right to be cautious of Yugi.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Ryou knew everything from the depths of his mind. He knew he was no longer in his own time. He knew he was currently sleeping on a bed of woven papyrus. He knew Malik was in love, again. He knew his darker half was plotting, again. He knew this strange nameless thief… this Dorobo… was his darker half three millennia ago.

Ryou knew something was about to happen, there was a reason they were here, in this time. He could hear rustling from next door. Next door was a metaphor for the metaphysical space between his and his darker half's minds. That was simple.

Ryou didn't know exactly how he had gotten here, or how this would play out, or if Malik would ever get what he wanted. He wished Malik would, he deserved it.

When Ryou woke it was still dark. The night was thick, no blaring electric orange street lights out his window here.

/Do not move./

Ryou nodded. 'Malik's not here.'

They both knew why.

There was a flash of something in the darkness. Ryou peered at it, bending down so that his head was close to the floor. Something pale was in the corner of the room. Ryou stood up onto his heels and gingerly crept over to the corner. The thing looked like a snake made out of liquid silver. Its sockets rolled shut.

/Don't touch it./

Ryou crouched and reached out a hand. With impossible speed the snake snapped awake and jumped to bite Ryou with long slender fangs. Ryou managed to escape the teeth by falling backwards on his butt. When he sat up again the snake was gone.

Ryou should have listened. He should always listen, but then he'd never know anything. The spirit of the Ring certainly wasn't going to tell him anything.

'I'll talk to Malik tomorrow,' Ryou thought as he climbed back into bed. He didn't bother to hide this thought from his other personality. Unlike the spirit of the Ring, Ryou didn't hide anything from his shared-body companion. He liked not hiding things. It was so much less stressful.

So Ryou lay back down upon his papyrus on that desert night, lifted his mouth to the thatched ceiling and whispered to the spirit that never answered, "Good night then." And Ryou went back to sleep.

The Thief who owned the house and who was listening intently to Ryou's movements from the next room, did not answer the boy's parting words.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"How long have you been in here, My Pharaoh?"

The Pharaoh Mahaado had known since childhood, the son of the gods, turned away from the stacks and stacks of scrolls and scowled at his priest. But it was in a harmless sense, a pout that reminded the priest of the face the young Prince had made when he wanted something very selfishly. "Do try not to lecture me, Mahaado. Seth has already yelled at me for ignoring my 'kingly duties.'"

"He looks out for you," Mahaado said, but then he knew that Seth would like nothing better than to look at the Pharaoh…

The Pharaoh gave a haughty expression one he would not dare have given in public. "He thinks he is my bloody keeper."

Mahaado drew closer examining his King's progress, he was looking at maps mostly, and past expeditions. "Is he not?"

"I should rather have you as my keeper, Mahaado, you are quite aware of that," the Pharaoh accused, glowering at a large map.

Though his voice was harsh, the King's words lifted Mahaado's spirit. He always felt over-privileged to be the Pharaoh's confidant. And Mahaado grinned as he said, "I had a very pleasant conversation with your stranger."

"Yugi," the Pharaoh corrected but jumped away from his scrolls and narrowed in on the priest. "Well? Do not be mute, what happened?" He was excited, which didn't happen often with the Prince- Pharaoh.

"He said he did not want to be rude but prefers bathing to be a solitary activity."

The Pharaoh was bewildered. "He did not accept my bathing services, because he did not want to be washed by women?"

"He is an oddity," Mahaado agreed, again revealing a grin. "His problem seemed to be that they were unclothed."

The Pharaoh, and Mahaado, for both had grown up in royal Egyptian families, could not see the problem. "Did he expect I would send commoners in rags to wash him, instead of my personal servants?"

Despite his complaints, Mahaado knew the Pharaoh was enjoying himself. "I do not think he properly understands the significance," the priest offered.

The Pharaoh shook his head, incomprehension all over his face. But there was a sense of awe too. "Mahaado," the Pharaoh spoke with a practical air. "Why have you not kissed me recently?"

Ignoring the improperness of the situation and horrifying ramifications if this question had not been relayed in private, Mahaado breathed. "I supposed that would be because you have not asked."

The Pharaoh considered this. "Ah." Then quickly forgot the subject. "Oh Mahaado, I don't know what to do," he groaned, his actual age showing through his Pharaoh exterior. "Looking at the situation, it all seems too suspicious, too convenient, he must be a threat… but, well, you have seen him! I cannot believe that he would threaten a cat!"

"I agree that he is harmless," the priest offered.

"But what should I do with him?" the Pharaoh moaned, falling back in years. He clasped his priest, his childhood friend and teacher by the skull. "I am confused."

"My Pharaoh-"

"Lose your formality, Mahaado," the Pharaoh ordered.

Mahaado smiled. Such were the benefits of talking in private, the Pharaoh longed to acknowledge their past. "That day when we found him in the in the garden, I was only looking for evil hearts. That's why my Thousand Year Ring could initially not find him. His motives are not malicious."

The Pharaoh wanted to accept this information, Mahaado could tell, and yet… "The very fact that there is another Puzzle is a threat to my Kingdom. My power and title are supported but these Items."

"Prince," and here Mahaado was glad he could speak openly, "I think you should trust him. He is as fixated on you as you are upon him."

The Pharaoh rotated his head away. "_Obviously_ I am concerned about him. He is an abnormality in my country." But Mahaado's well-trained eye caught the smirk at the corner of the King's mouth. The fact that Yugi was an abnormality made the Pharaoh like him even more. What, after all, could surprise the King of Egypt, a man who had seen everything of this world? Then this boy came, delivered by the sky to entertain him in his unsurprising kingly life.

"I think Yugi should be more concerned about you," Mahaado guessed.

The Pharaoh remained tactfully silent.

But perhaps… this boy would be different. Perhaps he would be able to contact something within the Pharaoh that no one else could. Perhaps… this boy would change everything.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Malik woke up with river water in his ears. His clothes were soaked, as though he had gone swimming during the night. The sun was peeking up above the ridges of the pyramids in the distance.

Luckily, Malik had not traveled far in the night. Their new home was only a short way down the river.

The shack thief-Bakura had brought them to last night was on the edge of the city, across the Nile, the same river Malik knew quite well since his childhood. The Nile was supposed to be the barrier between life and death, the Pharaoh's city on one side, the Valley of the Kings, the land of the dead, on the other. It was a natural hiding place, thief-Bakura had explained, no one went on the other side of the river except tomb guardians and grave robbers. It was the perfect place for thief-Bakura, the tomb robber, the other Bakura, the spirit, and Malik, the ex-tomb guardian…

But then where did Ryou fit in? The innocent?

When Malik returned to the shack, shaking out river silt from his pants, he found thief-Bakura leaning against the wall. Shirtless. Nothing but a schenti around his waist. Such a short schenti too…

"Where have you been?" thief-Bakura growled, eyes fixed on something in the other room.

He was keeping his voice down, Malik noticed. "Out for a morning stroll."

"Getting caught by tomb guardians?"

Malik sighed. Thief-Bakura was so hot. A lifetime in the desert sun and limited ancient diet made his body absolutely delectable.

"It's so cute how you worry about me," Malik teased, rolling the Sennen Rod in his hand. He circled around thief-Bakura, taking in the view, when he saw what the thief was so fixated on.

Ryou was still sleeping. Was that why thief-Bakura kept his voice low? Well, Ryou was rather adorable with his pale arms curled up under his fluffy white hair, soft face, no comparison there.

"Like a little angel, isn't he?" Malik commented.

Thief-Bakura torn himself away from the wall, targeting Malik. "What is he doing?"

"Ryou-kun? Sleeping, I would guess."

Thief-Bakura tensed. "You didn't call him Ryou last night."

"Well, last night that wasn't his name," Malik said obviously.

"_What_?"

"That one," Malik pointed at the sleeping angel, "The nice one with the adorable eyes, is Ryou. Bakura's the mean one."

The Thief paused, watching Malik shake the sand from his shirt. "He _names_ his emotions?"

Malik frowned. "His personalities. Has no one explained this to you yet?"

There were a few seconds when Malik shook out his damp hair, before, with a rustle of a short schenti, thief-Bakura charged into Ryou's room. Malik didn't have time to react before the Thief gave the pale boy a solid shove to force him from his slumber.

"That was unnecessary," Malik said, kneeling by the awakened boy's papyrus mat.

Ryou's doe-brown eyes blinked several times, adjusting to the light, one hand ruffling his white hair. Luckily, the sight of thief-Bakura's leering face directly above him didn't make the boy faint. He turned to Malik pleasantly and said in a sleepy tone, "Ohayo, Malik-kun."

"Ohayo," Malik greeted back, naturally slipping into Japanese again. "How'd you sleep?"

Ryou shrugged and moved to sit up. "Ok. Better than previous nights here."

Thief-Bakura, it seemed, despised polite conversation or formal introductions. "Who are you?" he question Ryou fiercely in harsh Egyptian.

Ryou gave the Thief a puzzled apologetic look. "Gomen, wakarimasen…"

"_I_ can understand you perfectly, pale-face," thief-Bakura growled.

Again Ryou's look was blank and un-understanding.

"Oh, right," Malik shrugged his Rod up into the air. "Sorry about this, Ryou-kun. It only hurt for a second." And then he slammed the head of his Sennen Rod on Ryou's skull, transferring the ancient Egyptian language into Ryou's memory, just as he had put Japanese into thief-Bakura's head.

Ryou flinched and cradled his wounded head for a few moments. Malik comfortingly rubbed his back. "You alright?"

"Fucking idiots," the Thief snarled, straightening up in an aloof position.

"I understood that," Ryou said, still cradling his head.

"Good! Now share that with _him_, Bakura refused to accept his own native language when I offered it last night! Gods, like asking him to freaking communicate is torture," Malik complained.

Ryou lifted his eyes, one hand still rubbing the wounded spot. "With him it usually is," the boy said, trying out the Egyptian language on his tongue.

Hearing Ryou speak proper Egyptian, thief-Bakura stepped forward, making his presence known again. He growled at the barely-awakened boy, "Who are you?"

Ryou looked up at him and blinked. "I am me."

Thief-Bakura crouched down and somehow being on level made him more intimidating, maybe because his eyes were even more intense close up. "What is your name?"

"Bakura Ryou," Ryou answered formally. "What's your name?"

Thief-Bakura scowled. "Your name is both Bakura and Ryou?"

"My first name is Ryou," Ryou explained, unperturbed, not even slightly anxious, "Bakura is a family name."

"You weren't so pleasant last night when you were preaching about destiny," thief-Bakura sneered.

"Did I say that?" Ryou asked confused.

"No, that was Bakura," Malik explained to Ryou, swinging an arm around the pale boy's shoulders.

Ryou nodded, as though that solved everything. "Oh."

"_He's_ Bakura. _He_ said he was," thief-Bakura snarled at Malik.

"No," Malik shook his head, "This guy, _he's_ Ryou," Malik said, shaking Ryou's thin shoulders. "We call the mean one Bakura."

"He's my other personality," Ryou explained.

The Thief didn't like that word, but he was like the spirit of the Ring in that way. "You're insane then?"

Malik gaped. "You insensitive jerk! Ryou's not crazy! He's-" but Ryou put a hand on Malik's shoulder to stop his words. Ring-Bakura had forbidden Malik and Ryou to tell Thief-Bakura that they were actually the same person. While Malik's words were known to slip, Ryou would never screw up. His loyalty was beyond compare.

Naturally, the thief-Bakura was growing more and more suspicious as the conversation continued. "Where is your Ring?" he asked slowly.

Ryou's eyes popped. Instinctively he touched his shirt, under which the Sennen Ring and its five compass pointers jingled.

A second later, thief-Bakura pounced at Ryou's chest—

Only to be thrown backwards once again in one sweep of shadow power.

A blast of golden light erupted from under Ryou's shirt. The spirit of the Ring, Bakura was standing on the papyrus mat, radiating power from the Ring displayed on his chest.

"_Don't_ touch yadonushi," spirit-Bakura commanded.

Thief-Bakura's recovery was quick. "And you, then? You're someone different?"

"_This_ is Bakura," Malik announced, gesturing to spirit-Bakura. "See, he's all scary and mean…"

"Shut it, Malik," the spirit of the Ring snapped.

"_See_?" Malik added, point proven.

Thief-Bakura took a second, absorbing the scene. Then he seemed to understand. And he grinned in triumph. "I see, I see. If the_ nice _onegets threatened you protect him. So you have all the power, right? You control the Ring, you make the speeches." Thief-Bakura let out a single bark of laughter that made his bare chest swell. "So what does he do? Your nicer personality?"

A tense silence as the two Bakuras stared each other down. Malik managed to keep silent, though the secret of Ring-Bakura's true identity was just about bursting from his chest.

The Thief was grinning, as though he knew. But he didn't, he could have never guessed. "Perhaps he is your hypocrisy? Your weakness?"

"Your judgments are faulty."

"Are they?" thief-Bakura sneered. "We'll see then, won't we?" And then he strode dignified out of the room, out of the house, into the desert.

Malik snorted, pulling himself to his feet. "He's so wrong, isn't he? About Ryou?" But Malik knew better than to expect spirit-Bakura to agree with him. As Malik brushed off more dirt, he saw Ryou fall back down to his papyrus mat. Of course, spirit-Bakura never stuck around for conversation. He never had…

"What happened?" Ryou asked simply, looking around for a clue of what had occurred when he had blacked out.

"Oh, Bakura scared him off that's all," Malik explained, settling down on Ryou's papyrus mat.

Ryou exhaled, and gazed up at the holes in the thatched roof. "I hope they didn't hurt each other," he commented.

"They didn't," Malik assured the boy, touching him on the back. "They're too tough for that."

Ryou paused, considering this. "Malik."

"Yeah?"

"Are there any silver snakes in Egypt?"

Malik frowned. "Silver? Do you mean gray or…?"

"No, silver like metallic-like," Ryou explained. "I saw one last night."

"I don't think there are any snakes like that. It was probably in your dreams," Malik said and then he got it. "_Oh_! Yes, you saw a 'snake' last night. Ryou you're so dirty."

Ryou also didn't get it, but that was because he was cute like that.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

If you noticed! Both the Pharaoh and Theif-Bakura ask the same question: "Who are you?" but they are expecting different answers. (a name vs. _who_ they are) While Yugi and Ryou respond to the question in different ways as well. OH CHARACTERIZATION! How I heart you. (ignore literary geekiness)

I'm just saying, if you were in ancient Egypt and you saw a guy with Yugi's hair… you'd know who he was too!

Why is Malik so gay?

JAPANESE (in this chapter and the last(most of which is said by Ryou)):"Abunai"=look out! "Niggette"= Run! "Daijoubu, hontoni daijoubu da,"=it's ok, really, it's ok. "Ohayo"=goodmorning, "Gomen, wakarimasen"=sorry, I don't understand

Anyway, I don't have to give you a preview for the next chapter because you're going to read it anyway. (there was a jedi mind trick in there somewhere)

**Pleased to REVIEW? Please do!**

The next chapter shouldn't take too long. If it does, feel free to yell at me.

**REVIEW PLEASE!!**


	3. The Six Chosen Priests

So. I'm late. No, I'm not preggers. I'm just late in life. Sorry guys. In my defense I have just changed locations and had to take a bit of time to settle down. But hopefully that's over with. A _certain reviewer_ scolded me and now I'm back. Just goes to show that one person can make a difference. :p

Anywho, here's another chapter:

(please excuse the lame chapter titles, I'm just not so creative anymore. Literally is the real chapter name. Crazy I know.)

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 3: The Six Chosen Priests**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

This was a test, it had to be. More and more maps, more and more scripts of travelers describing strange lands. But there were no lands mentioned that frolicked with large-eyed boys with golden magical pendants around this necks, where the boys looked you fearlessly in the eye, where the boys shy away from naked woman… did that mean he preferred men…?

Surely a place that had a stone tablet of him, the Pharaoh of Egypt, God on Earth, surely they had had contact at some time, some _documented_ contact.

Yugi, Mutou Yugi. Yugi. What kind of a name was that? What did it mean? Who had given him that name? He had come from a star. A light that appeared on the earth. Was that just magic or was it actually a star? Did Yugi come from the heavens?

There was movement outside the room, a shuffle of feet that echoed in the library's high ceiling.

The Pharaoh didn't have time to deal with noisy servants. He didn't even bother to turn when he shouted, "I ordered that I would not be disturbed, did I not?"

"I-" that was _not_ the voice of a servant. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to come out-"

Papyrus scrolls fell from his fingers. The Pharaoh turned around to see Yugi and his pale skin standing in the entranceway. His foreign clothes were gone and he had apparently accepted a proper washing; Mahaado had provided the supplies for the boy to wash and dress himself since he would not accept the help of the King's female servants. The Pharaoh could smell the perfumes, could see how the boy's light skin glowed with oil in the torch light.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"How did you know I was here?" the Pharaoh asked.

Yugi's slim shoulders rose in indecision. "Mahaado lead me here. Secretly. No one saw, I promise."

Mahaado? The priest always did presume too much. However this time… The Pharaoh would have to reward Mahaado for this later.

"It's not his fault. I asked," Yugi added, "I mean, I wanted to get out of that room, I wanted to see y-" but he cut himself off.

The Pharaoh left his maps and scrolls of documents and approached Yugi. The distance between them was unacceptable. "You don't like your room? There are many others that you could choose from."

"No," Yugi said immediately. "I lov- like my room, really. It's great, but… I don't want to spend all day in there."

They were getting closer now. So, Yugi didn't like to be confined. That was ok. The Pharaoh could show Yugi things, his city, his palace, his future tomb, his riches. "How extraordinary you are," the Pharaoh commented, "I tell you to stay hidden and you disobey me after one day."

"I- well, I'm sorry. I just wanted-" And as he got closer the boy got tenser, his shoulders tight to his neck, his arms squeezed flat at his sides. The Pharaoh would teach Yugi to be more relaxed.

The Pharaoh was close now, an arm length away, he could touch Yugi if he so desired. "Before you could not stop staring at my face. Yet today you are shy."

Yugi, head bowed, stammered again, "You said it was disrespectful…"

It was far from disrespectful, it was blasphemy. But it didn't matter with Yugi, maybe because his skin was so light, maybe because his own eyes were so captivating. "I also," and the Pharaoh couldn't resist reaching out to the boy and placing a finger under his chin, "Told you never to look away from me again."

Slowly, as though still resisting, Yugi raised his head. His face was as tight as his shoulders. "I do not want to insult you…"

Forcing his hand to drop from Yugi's face, for now was not the time, not when a servant could walk in at any second. The Pharaoh settled for a grin. "You cannot be ordinary to me, Yugi. My greatest wish is that you will constantly disagree with me, forever look in my eyes, and…" his could not stop his grin from widening, "Always wear your schenti backwards."

Yugi's face blushed, which was a far more pleasing reaction then before. "I guessed wrong."

The Pharaoh grinned and placed a hand on Yugi's back. "Since you are here you can assist me. I have been searching for your country of Japan on our maps."

"Oh," Yugi resisted the Pharaoh's guiding hand. "I don't think you'll be able to find it on your maps."

"Really? And why is that?" the Pharaoh questioned. Was the boy going to reveal that he had indeed come from the Heavens?

"Well, that's why I wanted to talk to you…"

The Pharaoh turned, intrigued. "What is it?"

Yugi inhaled, as though in preparation. "I've thought about it a lot. And I decided I want to tell you all I know about the Sennen Items, about where I come from, everything I think will be of use to you."

The Pharaoh was surprised, and pleased. This boy offered his secrets without the Pharaoh having to lure them out. Was the Pharaoh destined to be constantly surprised by this boy from the country of Japan? Would he never understand Yugi's motives?

At once the Pharaoh lead Yugi to a smaller private room. "Our words will be protected here."

Yugi breathed, sitting on a stool. "I did come here from a different country. But I am also certain, that I came from a different time."

Time? Like the beginning of time? Like when Ra first descended? When mother sky and father earth came to be? _What_ was Yugi? "Explain," the Pharaoh instructed.

Yugi had his hands clasped in his lap, legs with nerves. "I'm pretty sure I'm from your future, you know? I don't think we have two different Puzzles, I think they are the exact same Puzzle in different times." Yugi touched his head. "I know it sounds weird but I only know about you because, well…" Yugi paused again, "You're dead in my time. You've been dead for thousands of years, and the only proof that you existed is this stone tablet in a museum…"

Yugi hesitated. The Pharaoh knew he was waiting to see the King's reaction. But what reaction could the Pharaoh have? This was an interesting theory, it could make sense… But to be truthful the most fascinating thing about this story was how Yugi's mouth moved when he spoke. "So you solved the Puzzle in your time and came here?"

Yugi breathed. He then told a very elaborate tale about a game they played in his world called Duel Monsters and how when he played the cards responded in magical ways. It was all too complicated for the Egyptian King to understand. There were also other reoccurring characters the Pharaoh forgot. "Then the Sennen Items were gathered together at your stone tablet and… there was a lot of light, and then we appeared here."

But still Yugi looked far from relaxed, his knees tight together as thought cold. "There is something else I heard… in my time. About you…"

"Please, do not refrain yourself," the Pharaoh said. He was prepared for anything.

Yugi lowered his Sennen Puzzle, the future Puzzle, if that was true. The boy's face became grave. "I, ah, well, no one knows exactly…" Yugi hugged his Puzzle but turned fully to face the Pharaoh. "The story goes that there's this great battle or evil or something and you defeat it but…" Yugi swallowed and looked as though he was going to back away turn away but he resisted, "To save your people and the world, you sacrifice yourself… basically…"

Now Yugi turned away, his Puzzle at his diaphragm, squeezed into his gut.

The Pharaoh heard that word, sacrifice, and suddenly… he couldn't dismiss Yugi's story anymore. A battle? An evil? Was there to be another invasion on the horizon like in his father's time? Some other unspeakable evil?

He was bound to die. But then everyone was. His future tomb was being built at this very moment so it would be lavish and decorative in time for his funeral. Death was a constant in every Pharaoh's mind. One day he would join his predecessors in the Land of the Dead. If Yugi's story was accurate, then the Pharaoh would be remembered for the next three thousand years in the World of Living as well. That was all a Pharaoh could hope for, to be remembered and honored during his afterlife.

It didn't seem like such a tragic fate.

Yugi was running his fingers over the eye in the center of his Puzzle, _their_ Puzzle. It was odd, now that the Pharaoh thought of it. Why was the boy so attached to that thing? And that face, Yugi's face with that tearful, screaming expression when his Puzzle had been taken away…

That face had scared the Pharaoh, and he didn't know why.

Perhaps the boy would always be a mystery.

"Yugi," the Pharaoh began. Yugi's attention was drawn away from his Puzzle. "Your story is very useful to me. If what you say is true than the very least I can say about you is that you are a prophet." The Pharaoh made sure to face his time-traveling guest to prove his genuineness. "I cannot deny that my priests have been receiving dark signs. This is an ominous time."

Yugi bowed his head, in guilt perhaps. "I wish I could be of more help to you."

"You are a great help. Do not doubt yourself…"

But when the Pharaoh touched Yugi's face, and instantly he was filled with an anxiety, as though touching Yugi was forbidden. Why? Was he not the Pharaoh? Nothing, _no one_ was forbidden to him. So what was that impressive energy warning him to back away from the boy?

Was it coming from Yugi's Puzzle?

The Pharaoh conceded to the impressive warning and dropped his hand away from Yugi's flesh. Yes, he no longer felt like he was being threatened.

Yugi lifted his head with clear-eyed determination. "Maybe I was sent here to fix things," Yugi realized and he stood up. "Maybe I'm supposed to learn about you, assist you in anyway I can. Maybe, I'm here to make sure you don't die!"

The Pharaoh grinned. "If that is the case then I have treated you not nearly as lavishly as you deserve."

Yugi's face pinked. "You have treated me very kindly. I can't thank you enough."

"If you are here to save my life than _I_ cannot thank you enough," the Pharaoh countered. And despite the warning, despite the threatening pains in his gut, the Pharaoh grabbed Yugi's hands tearing them away from that haunted Puzzle. A bold move. "If there is anything that you desire, anything at all. Please tell me. I will give it to you."

"Well…" and the boy bit his lip. The Pharaoh longed to draw Yugi closer but again felt that the other Puzzle would not allow it. "There is something I have always wanted."

The Pharaoh was all too enthusiastic to grant this time-boy's wish. "Name it."

"I want to learn about you," Yugi requested, shoulders squeezing together in a meek shrug. "I want to know everything there is to know about you and your life."

This was surprising, for it was exactly what the Pharaoh wanted as well, to get closer to Yugi… "If that is all, I will strive to complete your wish."

Yugi smiled and it was still meek and cute and… _damn_ that other Puzzle. "And I don't want to be left in my room with nothing to do."

"Obviously not," the Pharaoh nodded. "I will give you many servants…"

Yugi's expression fell. A bad sign, the Pharaoh had said something wrong.

"You do not like servants?" Perhaps Yugi would prefer male servants…

"No, but I…" Yugi hesitated and his pink flush returned. "If it's possible I'd rather spend more time with you."

"There is nothing I would like better than to spend the days and nights with you," the Pharaoh spoke honestly. Too honestly, he had to check himself. "But I have obligations, terribly boring. You would not find it nearly as entertaining."

Yugi squeezed the Pharaoh's hands back. "I don't mind being bored as long as I'm with you." Then Yugi must have realized that he said something odd because he got flustered again. "I- I mean, that must be why I'm hear, right?"

"As delightful as that sounds," the Pharaoh hated to depress the boy, "There is still the fact of your similar face to mine. And your other Puzzle, of course." The same object that was keeping Yugi unblemished…

Yugi shrunk with disappointment. "Is there anything I can do?"

Pharaoh grinned. He had hoped Yugi would not give up. If he was as determined as the Pharaoh…"Perhaps, I can think of a way."

Yugi was beaming.

Damn that other Puzzle.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Ryou liked the shack. It was breezy, the desert wind ripping through the thatched roof and through the gapes in the poorly structured clay and stick walls. But it was homey. And everyone seemed to be doing things to make Ryou more comfortable. Malik kept bringing him food and water and keeping him company and his other personality actually took over the body during the hottest part of the day so he could escape the harsh elements, which was a nice gesture.

Until Ryou realized that the hottest part of the day was when _he_ returned from his morning… activities. And that Malik's company was only to occupy Ryou while _he_ was home. _He_ went out during the evening, to prepare for the night, undoubtedly. _He_ only sometimes came back before dawn. Whether _he_ found another place to stay or was too busy robbing people, Ryou didn't know. The boy from Japan really didn't know anything about _him_. All the boy saw of _him_ was the occasional glance around a wall, the shape of his shadow as _he_ stalked the other side of the house.

Overall, the stay in the shack was highly guarded, very boring, but nice. At least Ryou got to sense his other personality everyday…

"Here," Malik dropped down on the dirt floor in front of Ryou's bed/mat, "Got you food." He held out a loaf of bread and some gray cheese. "I know it's no burger and fries but this is supposed to be really superb cheese, no lie."

"Thanks, Malik-kun," Ryou said. "I hope you didn't go out to town like that."

Malik looked shocked. "Is there something _wrong_ with the way I look?"

Ryou looked down. "You're wearing jeans and T-shirt."

"Your point?" Malik questioned stubbornly.

"You stick out enough with your personality, and we don't need anymore attention." Ryou mushed the chunk of cheese on the bread, smearing it with his fingers, making the substance spread against its natural will.

"Oh, Ryou-kun, Ryou-kun," Malik moaned, fingering his hair. "You almost sound like him."

Ryou stuck one of his cheesy fingers in his mouth, the cheese was moldy. "Who?"

"Mean-Bakura," Malik answered with disappointment, "You know, except for all the snarling and hating the world and whatnot."

Ryou had to think about this for a second. After all, how could he sound like his other personality when they hadn't had a conversation since Ryou first put on the Ring?

"Woop!" Malik jumped to his feet like he had been electrically shocked. It was dusk. The sun was setting fast. "Got to go to the loo. I'll be back." And he dashed out of the house.

The sky was a smoky pink and purple as the sun sunk to the horizon. Ryou knew Malik wouldn't be back until morning, so the pale boy ate his bread and cheese. He stood up, ready to stretch his legs. But when he walked into the main room, Ryou saw the snake. It was the same silver snake he had seen on his first night in the shack. He had seen it on three other occasions so far. Tonight would be the fourth.

/Yadonushi, / the usually warning came. But Ryou never listened to it, if he did, he'd never here the spirit's voice again.

The snake seemed… larger today. It wasn't asleep either, which was unusual. Its black eyes were open and it had raised it head up into the air at about Ryou's waist. The snake was staring unblinkingly at Ryou.

/Don't look at it. /

But Ryou stared back at the snake, into those black eyes. It wasn't so bad, Ryou figured. The snake didn't seem particularly violent. So Ryou knelt down, and the snake didn't move except to adjust its staring head to Ryou's new position. So Ryou reached out to it, pale fingers stretched…

/Yadonu- /

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

Ryou flinched for being yelled at both inside and outside his mind. When he looked back at the snake it was gone, just like all the other times.

"I said, what the _hell_ are you doing?"

Ryou turned to see him, the thief, the nameless… _he_ was nameless apparently, for _he_ never properly introduced _himself_ to anyone. Certainly _he_ couldn't be called Bakura. _He_ looked rather angry, face twisted.

But as Ryou made to stand up, the thief, Dorobo, charged toward him, and when Ryou was at his feet, Dorobo was breathing into his face. "Bring him out."

Ryou blinked. _He_ had bad breath, the scent of garlic and alcohol… "Sorry, Dorobo-san?"

"Bring _him_ out!" _he_ yelled into Ryou's face. And _he_ was really very very loud.

Ryou winced. "I've never called him out before…"

Dorobo, for Ryou could think of any other name to call him, sneered, bringing his intimating body closer to Ryou. "_Try_ it."

Ryou shrugged. "Ok." And he did. Only he didn't know what to call his other personality either.

'Um… ring spirit? Other personality? Um, your past self wants to talk to you…'

And strangely, extraordinarily, the spirit responded. /I know. /

But he made no move to take the body.

Ryou opened his eyes.

Dorobo was pissed. "_Well_?"

"He says he knows," Ryou answered.

"_What_?"

Ryou took a step back because his stomach was queasy and Dorobo's breath was making him nauseous. "I told him you wanted to talk to him and he said he knows."

Patience was already gone, self restraint was running out of Dorobo's expression like water. "He knows _what_?"

Ryou nodded. "He knows."

A roar of frustration. "Of course he knows! I know he knows! But what am _I_ supposed to do? _What_?"

Ryou did not move. It was important for people to vent.

Dorobo stomped the dirt floor, arms flying around his head. "You've been here for six days and he's done _nothing_. He has never even _spoken_ to me! He says he's here to help me get the Items and then he doesn't help me!"

"Maybe…" maybe Ryou shouldn't have opened his mouth because the fiery eyes that were on him and right now they looked like they could kill, "Sometimes he doesn't tell you what to do because he already knows what you're going to do without him having to tell you to do it."

Dorobo was not at all thankful for this advice. Ryou could tell. If anything he seemed more pissed.

"So… you're saying he won't appear until I mess up? Is _that_ it?" Dorobo demanded, closing in on Ryou again. His smell, he had smell, which was odd cause the spirit didn't…

"I don't know," Ryou answered honestly. "I don't know his plans."

After another stomping pace around the room and many Egyptian curses hissed under his breath, Dorobo faced Ryou again. "Fine. _Fine_. If he's not going to show up and tell me how to get the Items then I'll get them myself, _without_ his help!"

Angry and frustrated, Dorobo, like a storm heading for land, charged out of the house, once again. Ryou opened his mouth, wanting to help…

/Let him go. /

And Ryou listened this time. Because, as Ryou returned to his room and his papyrus mat, he realized that this was exactly what his other personality had wanted to happen.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The plan was genius. Yugi was so thankful that he could spend all day with the Pharaoh that he didn't even mind that he couldn't breathe, or move, or speak under the heavy clay mask. Granted, it was the smallest, most concealing mask they could find. Bastet. The cat god of all things. But the mask of Thoth, their second choice, had a huge beak that hurt Yugi's neck to support.

"Besides," the Pharaoh explained, as he was examining his genius plan. "Bastet suits you."

"Does it? I don't really remember the story of Bastet," Yugi admitted, fussing with the straps to insure the mask stayed in place.

"Bastet is the daughter of Ra," the King of Egypt began.

'Great, I'm a _girl_,' Yugi thought bitterly.

"Every day," the Pharaoh began, "When Ra, the sun, is about to set over our world, the snake Apep tries to stop the sun from entering the Land of the Dead. Bastet assists her father in killing the snake. You are here to assist me, aren't you?"

"In killing the snake?" Yugi said, following the story, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

/In that situation, The Pharaoh would also be your father,/ the spirit of the Puzzle pointed out.

Yugi hide his laugher by ducking his head and coughing

Finally the straps were secure. Yugi lifted his head and moved around a bit, experimenting with his limited vision out of the cat's hollowed eyeballs.

The Pharaoh nodded in approval at the mask. "Now if you would take off the Thousand Year Puzzle…"

Yugi skidded away, alarmed. This had not been part of the original plan. "What- Why do I have to take it off?"

"Yugi," the Pharaoh began logically. "You cannot wear your Puzzle in public. My council cannot see it."

"I _can't_ take it off," Yugi squeaked, clutching the Item to his chest again.

'I won't,' Yugi promised.

A warmth signaled the spirit's gratitude. /I know,/

Pride and stiffness were seeping back into the Pharaoh's eyes. "Then this has all been in vain."

Yugi breathed. He had to calm down. The King, after all, didn't know what he was asking for. He didn't know…

"I'm sorry," Yugi apologized. "But…why- can't we just cover it up?"

The Pharaoh was still mad, Yugi could see it in his eyes. And it made Yugi worry a little because he wasn't used to his other personality freaking out or throwing a tantrum. When the Pharaoh got mad it was hard for Yugi to take him seriously, it seemed so… immature next to the spirit of the Puzzle.

Eventually, the Pharaoh turned back to Yugi. "It would take a lot of cloth."

It would be hot but Yugi knew he could handle it. "I don't mind."

So Yugi was covered in multiple layers of linen to look properly formless; the garment was perfumed so heavily that Yugi's eyeballs stung. But it was worth it.

The Pharaoh's lip was tight with grudging acceptance, but his negative mood cleared as he lead Yugi out of the private room and into public halls. He guided Yugi down busier, wider corridors with many of cleanly-dressed noblemen and women. White linen, black kohled eyes, jewelry, gold, and lapis… Yugi clung to his royal guide for their long walk. After passing painted stone walls draped gaussy fabric in several colors, and the crowds of nobles falling to their knees, the Pharaoh brought Yugi into a huge, huge hall so impressive that Yugi stumbled over his own feet.

"This is the main receiving hall," the Pharaoh explained. "But today it will be used as place of celebration."

Yugi cursed the mask for limiting his view of the grand room. It had a wooden roof and three tall stone walls, where the fourth wall was open to the desert outside, letting in cool breezes and sunlight. Almost every inch of the stone walls were covered in carvings and paintings depicting Pharaohs and gods and ankhs and scales and monsters with crocodile heads and falcons and rows and rows of pictograph writings. It was crowded with equally elegant people with shifting clothes, and servant women with transparent fabrics to show off their naked bodies.

The Pharaoh had a throne at the front of the hall on a raised platform a few feet up from the floor. And as he entered, all the nobles in the hall fell to the stone floor. Yugi indeed felt privileged holding this King's- this _god's_ hand.

The music began again when the Pharaoh sat upon his throne. Dancers, of course there were dancers, took the floor in front of the throne with wispy scarves tied to their arms and legs and not much other clothing. Yugi could avoid the sight easily, he turned to the Pharaoh to see if he was mesmerized by these dancers, but he wasn't looking at them. He was staring at Yugi.

"Are you enjoying yourself? I would offer you food but for your necessary mask," the Pharaoh pointed out.

"It's ok," Yugi assured him. "Um, this is… amazing. Really. I've only heard stories about Egypt and now it's…"

"Real?" the Pharaoh suggested, and he was smiling broadly. "I'd enjoy having your modern perspective on my dancers though. They must be awful from the way you can never look at them."

"No!" Yugi responded. "I'm- sure they're great dancers."

The Pharaoh was enjoying himself as well. "Then what fault do you find in them?"

Yugi hesitated, touching the chain to his Sennen Puzzle under his shirt. "I come from a different culture that is all."

"And in your land women are not so bare?" the Pharaoh inquired.

Yugi did not feel comfortable talking about this. "Yes…"

"But surely you are a reasonable man, can you not enjoy them as bare as they are?"

Yugi was confused. Did the Pharaoh want Yugi to be attracted by these women? Was he, like he had before when he had sent those… women to his room, offering Yugi to sleep with one of them? But Yugi didn't want to!

/Relax, he's teasing you, / the spirit of the Puzzle answered Yugi's panicked thoughts. /Testing is perhaps a more appropriate term. /

'Testing me? Why?' Yugi asked but his other half did not answer.

"Though I cannot see your expression, I know your mind is wandering, Yugi," the Pharaoh voiced, in a brisk impatient tone.

Yugi had been ignoring the Pharaoh again, in the middle of a conversation. If he wasn't careful the Pharaoh would start to wonder about Yugi's internal conversations. "I'm sorry. This party is very nice…"

The Pharaoh frowned. "Do not change the subject. We were wondering why you don't seem to like women?"

Yugi choked. "I- I never said _that_!"

"My Pharaoh."

With disappointment on his face, the Pharaoh turned away from Yugi to a person on his other side. "Is this not a celebration, Mahaado? Am I not allowed to enjoy myself?"

The priest came around to the front of the throne where Yugi could now see him. "Of course, my Pharaoh, forgive me for caring about the cover of your guest, but you are speaking in that foreign language again."

The Pharaoh sighed. "I can never tell anymore which comes off of my tongue." The King was then distracted by a scribe who had approached the throne with a number of scrolls. Mouth tight with annoyance the Pharaoh turned his attention away from his guest.

Mahaado bowed to Yugi. "I hope the Pharaoh's guest is comfortable."

Yugi nodded, "Very comfortable, thank you."

'He's nice,' Yugi thought. 'But…' He dared to glance at the Ring suspended from a string around his neck. 'The Ring is evil in our time. I wonder how it got like that,' Yugi hinted, wary of Maahado's inquisitive gaze.

/I don't think this man is evil,/ his other half answered.

'How are you so sure?'

/He…/ the spirit hesitated, /He can't be. He's too courteous…/

Yugi had to agree. The priest's smile was comforting.

"He gets rather _attached_ to new things," Mahaado said suddenly.

Yugi didn't know what he was talking about. "Sorry?"

Mahaado's eyes darted very obviously to the currently occupied Pharaoh. "Usually he goes for the older approach," the priest's meaning was very subtle, but none the less embarrassing. "New priests are always warned of his… inclinations. Do be careful there."

"Oh," Yugi gulped. Suddenly he understood his other personality's theory of the Pharaoh's "testing". "And he does this with _everyone_?"

Mahaado, as discretely as possible, slid to cut off the Pharaoh's view of their conversation. "His interaction with Seth was particularly fascinating, until the end of that moon cycle, of course."

Yugi gaped. He couldn't believe it. The Pharaoh? But that wasn't like Yugi's darker half at all! The spirit of the Puzzle had never shown any "inclinations" towards… anybody! The two of them had never even touched upon that subject before, which now that Yugi thought of it did seem rather odd…

The scribe who had distracted the Pharaoh scurried off with his various papyrus scrolls. Mahaado noticed this and smoothly turned to Yugi as though they had been talking about unrelated things the entire time. "And are these dancers to your liking?" the priest inquired.

Yugi blushed. He wished the priest had chosen a less dangerous topic. "They're _fine_," he insisted.

"I think they might displease him," Mahaado observed, tilting his head to his King.

"I agree," the Pharaoh answered, joining the conversation with a brilliant smirk.

Yugi was going to protest, until a shock his to abdomen warned him of something a bit more dangerous. It was odd pressure in his brain. One of power…

/Aibou. /

There were four of them. An old man with a white beard, a bulky man with broad shoulders and a fancy Egyptian wing, a bald man who stood tall. Then there was a woman, a woman who…

'Mou hitori no boku,' Yugi nudged his other self, 'She looks- she looks exactly like…'

/Ishizu, / the spirit finished also in awe.

And she did. Her blue eyes with their forever clear somber expression, her pretty face, every feature was exactly, _exactly_ the same. And, of course, the Sennen necklace around her throat, its eye perched on her noble collar bone.

All four had an Item. The old man had his hood pulled forward but he could not hide the golden Sennen Eye that had replaced his real one. The bulky man did not attempt to conceal his Sennen Scales; he held them as naturally as his extended hand. The Sennen Key's ankh shape blended in easily with the bald man's fancy clothes.

/They must be the priests the Pharaoh mentioned, / the spirit of the Puzzle guessed.

Yugi nodded, but could not speak. His own item seemed to be heavier than usual, as if it didn't want to be here with this _other_ set of Sennen Items. This paradox was too… impossible.

"Enjoying yourselves, my most trusted priests?" the Pharaoh greeted warmly.

The bulky priest with the Scales bowed low. "Of course, my Pharaoh, this is a superb celebration."

"Indeed, Kalim," the Pharaoh agreed. "And you, Shaada? Are you not partaking in the feast?"

The bald man, the man with the Sennen Key, nodded, but his neck was stiff. "It is quite the gathering."

"Isis, you are as grave as usual," their King observed.

The woman, Ishizu- Isis, offered her own bow, "I had an… unproductive meditation."

"Have you seen my pupil, my Pharaoh?" the old man asked, in a deep craggily voice. "Seth could do with some relaxation."

"No, I have not seen any of you these past days," the Pharaoh admitted simply.

None of the other priests spoke. Yugi realized that obviously they had noticed their King's absence but none of them were going to mention it, perhaps they felt it was not their place.

"Yes, not even your servants could catch you recently, my Pharaoh."

The words, "My Pharaoh" were so harsh that they were most certainly rude. But the person who was only just walking up the steps onto the royal platform was evidently allowed to show such nerve. He was concealed from Yugi's view by the other priests who had turned to greet him.

"Seth, I have never been more delighted to hear you constantly remind me of my laziness," the Pharaoh responded in an almost cheerful manner.

"And what could have possibly occupied your time so thoroughly?" the rude man, Seth, asked again. And this was the man the Pharaoh had attached himself to so recently?

The Pharaoh calmed his priests' anxieties with a wave of his royal hand. "It is true. I have been negligent as of late. I had some business that needed my personal attention. But I will not disappoint you any longer."

There was a clearing of the throat, which sounded more like a scoff. "Pray to the gods that nothing takes you away from your throne again," Seth, the new priest that Yugi still could not see, said. Though Yugi could make out the bottom of a bright blue robe; all the other priests wore only white and gold, while this one dressed himself in another color…

"Nothing less," the Pharaoh responded vaguely and perhaps only Yugi and Mahaado understood the smirk that played on the King's lips.

Yugi tried not to notice how the inside of his mask was getting warm.

"And who is your guest, my Pharaoh?"

And this time the new priest stepped forward so that he was in front of the throne.

Yugi choked on his own breath. His hand groped for the Sennen Puzzle under his clothes.

/_Kaiba_? / His other self was as shocked as he was.

Indeed, like Ishizu, this priest looked exactly like Kaiba Seto, CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Champion Duelist, Yugi's, well, the spirit of the Puzzle's, rival in the gaming world.

/The stone tablet at the museum, / his other self remembered instantly as this familiar looking priest stepped forward.

'So he was the one with the dragon and the…' Yugi marveled.

The Sennen Rod gleamed in Priest Seth's hands. It was his symbol of authority, or power, two things the modern Kaiba Seto knew quite well.

"This, Seth," the Pharaoh, unfazed and unaware of the dramatic irony in this situation, "Is just a curious member of my harem. She wished to see the celebration."

'_She_?' Yugi noted, freaking out, but only a little. '_Harem_?' The Pharaoh had harem? So… he had… already… but he- he can't be much older than I am! 'Oh god. I don't want to be a harem…'

A wave of calm logic washed over him from the Puzzle. /It is only a role, aibou, so the priests don't suspect anything. /

'I know, I know…' Yugi agreed.

Priest Seth, however, would not let this matter go so easily. He approached Yugi and even the boy from Japan could tell that this was not appropriate because the other priests gazed shockingly at him. The old man even called him out, "_Seth_."

"There is no need for manners, Akhenaden. It is just a harem girl," and he leaned down. "A Bastet mask? How exotic. Are you enjoying the celebration?"

Yugi knew he shouldn't speak. Seth's face was so close that Yugi could smell his perfume through the mask, and it terrified him seeing those blue eyes up close and knowing that he could probably see Yugi's own wide eyes through the mask.

"I would ask you not to frighten her, Seth," the Pharaoh requested, in a would-be-playful tone.

The Priest scoffed, very Kaba-like, and stood back up. "You have never brought a harem to such an elaborate occasion before. This one is special. Perhaps the Pharaoh would like to display her to the rest of us?"

"Seth," the old man, Akhenaden, warned, "You would be wise to restrain your curiosity."

Seth made a shrugging motion and moved away, as if bored. "Then let the celebration continue."

But as Egyptian nobles turned their attention back to the open hall, the Ring around Mahaado's neck erupted in light. Its compass pointers rattled, flying in every direction in confusing disarray.

The Pharaoh reacted immediately to his favorite priest. "Mahaado?" But the priest was too occupied trying to get his Item under control.

At the same time, a commotion was stirring outside, guards were rushing into the building, pushing people away from the middle of the floor and back against the walls. The celebration broke up, the dancers shrieking and running for cover, the musicians diving for the nearest corner of wall.

Seth took the stage, stood in front of the other priests and demanded, "What disturbs the Pharaoh's celebration?"

He was never answered. A second later, the Sennen Tauk shown with brilliant light, and the Priestess' eyes glazed over, shock and horror. The necklace, Yugi recalled, could see the future. "An evil shadow approaches the palace… with incredible powers."

"The Ring," Mahaado struggled, his Item seemed to be thrashing against his chest, "Has picked up a powerful evil heart…"

'Is this normal?' Yugi thought, apprehension filling him. No it couldn't be… not yet. Was the "great evil" that the prophecy spoke of already entering the palace? So soon? But Yugi had not learned anything about Pharaoh! Did they really have so little time?

Each item began to light up in turn, as though losing control. The bulky man's scales tipped and swayed, unbalanced. The old priest put a hand to his head as though the eye was hurting him.

The Pharaoh alone was still, his face so serious that he seemed like a different person. The hall was in chaos, people rushing in as though pursued by some strange beast. And there was screaming outside and the strange sound of squishing meat…

"I have no use for you _filth_! Tell the Pharaoh the _Thief King_ has come to grant him with his presence!"

The flow of guards stopped, those still alive retreated to the walls, as a man robed in a scarlet coat and gold, gold chains, gold jewelry, gems, lapis, entered the Pharaoh's palace. He was dragging some sort of rotting sack behind him. Laughter hit Yugi's ears, and he thought that voice sounded familiar…

"At last the throne room!" the man cried, as though he were infinitely pleased. More laughter. Yugi could not see his face because of the cloth he wore over his head. "Lose something?" The tomb robber stopped in the center of the room, center stage, and flung his treasures to the floor; plunder scattered across the stone floor of the receiving hall. "Can't you set better traps than that, _Pharaoh_?" The rotten sack was kicked forward; it flopped sadly on the floor. And Yugi realized it was a mummy.

'Mou hitori no boku, there is something about him…' Yugi began but could not finish his thought. His other personality was too busy watching the scene to answer.

The priests were a fury of movement but the Pharaoh's face, if possible grew harder, colder, and that scared Yugi a lot. Because for the first time in his life he could not tell what the Pharaoh was thinking. Yugi realized… that he didn't really know the Pharaoh at all.

Mad laughter rose to the ceiling. "I am the King of Thieves from Kul Elna!" and then the man's eyes seemed to find Yugi's within his mask as he pronounced. "I have come for your Thousand Year Items."

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

OH SNAPP!

I think that says it all.

So Ryou calls Ancient Bakua "Dorobo-san" which means, "Mr. Thief" or something like that cause Ryou is all cute and polite. Keep in mind that other characters like Malik call him different things. (Malik calls him "Thief-Bakura")

Yes, from my understanding there were a lot of naked women in Ancient Egypt. Well, it was hot. And by that I mean temperature-wise.

Guess what happens next chapter? Well if you've read the manga that may or may not help you.

Yes, that little bit of dialogue at the end scene there was taken almost exactly from the manga. I looked at the manga and then the anime and then this different translation of the manga (not by Shonen Jump) and decide which of the interpretations I like better.

Interested???? I would be.

I will try to update on time this time. Or maybe I'll update earlier just to apologize to you wonderful people. Maaaaaaybe….

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!**


	4. In the Name of the Gods

Here is the chapter that was after the last one, in which concluded with a cliffhanger, in which several readers life yourself were annoyed when the next chapter, namely this said one, was not updated with good swiftness. Understood? I surely don't.

Oh yes, again I was scolded again. I'm such a terrible author.

This chapter will either be incredible interesting or incredibly boring or incredibly confusing depending on if you have said the manga and if I made any of this crap clear. Here's hoping!!!

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 4: In the Name of the Gods**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

The guards scattered like bugs out of Diaboundo's range. All were terrified of his power for though they could not see the metaphysical beast-spirit, they had seen many of their comrades die outside at the gates in splashes of blood.

Diaboundo was perfect, despite being invisible and formless. But the priests would help him with that. It was said that the Thousand Year Items could extract a person's soul and give it shape. Diaboundo, the soul monster, was nonphysical now, but the priests would help him with that. In ways they could not possibly foresee.

"Well?" the Thief called to the rich people on the throne platform. "Aren't you going to pass gods' judgment upon me?"

"To step before the throne of the Pharaoh without permission is a serious crime!" the priest with the Thousand Year Key accused. "You will be punished!"

The Thief grinned. That was the threat he wanted. But there was the Pharaoh, saying nothing, doing nothing. The coward. Letting the priests speak for him, sacrificing themselves for him. The teenage King with no experience destined to carry on his father's hypocrisy. He sat there on the throne with…

Now what was that?

A figure in a mask and many layers of clothe sat by his throne…

No matter. It meant nothing.

"Come down from that throne, Pharaoh. Let's find out which King is greater," the Thief teased.

One of the priests scoffed. "For a miserable thief, standing before the six priests take courage…" It was the arrogant priest with the Thousand Year Rod. "We'll make sure the canopic jar for your guts is a somewhat larger one."

The Rod… oh, the Rod… It looked better in Malik's hands.

"Listen well, Thief," the old priest said, face deformed by the acceptance of the Thousand Year Eye. His ancientness was laughable. "The law and order of this country is maintained by the Thousand Year Items. The only ones who can hold them are the priests who have devoted their souls to the Pharaoh and trained for many years. If a person like you with a heart of evil were to touch the Thousand Year Items, your very soul would burn away. The gods themselves would punish you with death."

"Please…" the Thief sneered. "Try not to say things that excite me. You're making me want them even more." Judgment? Order? The _hypocrites_. The Thief had not approached the castle soon enough. How deep had the Pharaoh's doctrine infected these pathetic servants. It didn't matter. He'd destroy them, doctrine and all. "Shall I take all you priests on at once then?"

"Insolence!" the priest who held the Scales cried. "You shall pay!"

"Pharaoh," the Rod holder said. "Perhaps we should give your special guest a demonstration of your priests' mighty powers?"

Guest?

The Thief eyed the masked figure beside the throne again. Was the Pharaoh more concerned with showing off to a guest than dealing with _him_? A threat to his Kingdom? The Thief let his anger fester.

"Seth," the Thousand Year Eye holder scolded. "Do not address the Pharaoh so in such a public setting."

"No," the Pharaoh announced. Though his frame did not relax, he gave his permission, "If you wish it so, Seth."

The Rod priest smirked. "Tomb robber! You have trespassed on the Pharaoh's palace and now you will face the Gods' holy judgment."

The priest took their formation. Exactly as planned. The Thief could taste the excitement.

"Be wary, my comrades!" the one with the Scales held his Item up for all to see. It was severely unbalanced, a powerful weight shifting between the two dishes so that it swung rapidly. "His evil cannot be measured!"

The other priests looked concerned, but of course, they would still judge him. First they would give Diaboundo form…

The first priest came forward with the Key. "Key! Lead me into this sinner's heart!"

The Thief did not fight the priest entering his mind, no matter how unpleasant. But what would the priest find behind that doorway…?

The priest screamed, body recoiled, most did when they were confronted with Diaboundo. "That man's Ka… is too great… The sealing stone is too small!" His weakened knees made the priest shake. "H-his— heart is a bottomless pit of shadow!"

"Is that so?" the Thief wondered aloud. "Is that a unique result?"

He saw it! Fear! Anxiety had captured all the priests' faces. His plan was perfect.

The old one, the weakest of them all. The most sinful of them all, stepped forward. He dared to turn his Eye onto the Thief. "Come out! Evil—"

Diaboundo needed no encouragement. He burst forth from the confines of the Thief's heart and expanded to his natural size. And he was gorgeous, beautiful. At last! Diaboundo was solid! Glowing and mighty. Half man, half snake. But there was something…

His color was unpleasant. A silver shine? No, he was supposed to be black, like the Thief King's heart, or at least gold like his treasures. His was supposed to be gray and decaying like the Thief King's mind. What had given Diaboundo this more glorious look of silver?

The image of Ryou's pale hands in the dark…

Bastard should stay out of his own business.

Nevertheless, this small annoyance was not enough to turn the Thief from his victory. He laughed. "Is he not handsome? My soul? Thank you priests for giving him physical form at last. For look well at him, this is no demon. This is a god, the great Ka-god, Diaboundo!"

The priests reacted as they did when challenged. "Impossible! A god Ka cannot exist within such an evil sinner." the old priest answered.

The Thief King smirked. "Ha. Evil? What is evil? If I'm loyal to what you say is that 'right'? Is that all it takes to make me 'good'?"

"Enough!" shouted the priest with the Rod. Like Malik's…

How the Thief hated to be reminded of Malik.

"Monster! Begone from Gods presence and enter the holy stone!" the arrogant fool ordered and he held the Rod forward and it glowed with sinister intentions.

"Diaboundo does not follow your command!" the Thief King barked. But even so he felt it, the Item attempting to tear Diaboundo from the Thief's mind, his heart, his body. The cold stone engulfed. Diaboundo screamed. The Thief screamed. No! He would not give up his soul like this! To these fake priests. He was going to get the Thousand Year Items!

Diaboundo broke the stone tablet! And as clunks of solid stone flew across the room, the Thief King was victorious!

"Come on down from your throne, Pharaoh! Before I destroy your priests. I'm challenging your authority, your _divinity_! Teach me to respect your gods!"

Though the King of Egypt had yet to move from his seat, the clothed figure beside the Pharaoh's stood up. The mask hid the stranger's expression but not its stance of awe. The Thief didn't know why, but that masked figured seemed more dangerous than both the priests and the Pharaoh combined.

Something odd was going on. Something complicated.

"Why?" it was a small voice that somehow was heard above the tumult. The masked figure stepped away from the Pharaoh's throne and towards the Thief. "_Why_ do you want the Sennen Items?"

"Sennen?" The Thief knew that word only because it was the one Malik and Ryou used. How did this masked figure… But this was an opportunity to reveal everything. The Thief tightened his jaw. "Why don't you ask _him_?"

The corpse, the heavy perfumes from his funeral service still lingered in the air. The Thief dragged the thing forward and placed his foot on the back of the rotting filth. "He created the Sennen Items."

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The spirit of the Puzzle didn't know why he was standing. He knew he wasn't supposed to speak, he would draw too much attention to himself, to Yugi, his partner. He didn't know why he had taken control of the body. But he needed to know the true purpose of the Sennen Items.

The priests were in a fury. "Akhenamkhanen!" was the named they were shouting. "How dare you step on the body of the former Pharaoh!"

Seth cried, "You will be flayed to the bone!"

The tomb robber, this man who called himself the King of Thieves, was not done. "But he made them. Your _precious_ Thousand Year Items! And thereby released the Powers of Darkness onto the world!"

"With the Thousand Year Items Akhenamkhanen delivered this Kingdom from chaos and ended the war between our countries," the old priest, Akhenaden, announced with pride. "He brought peace to the land!"

"Peace? By _slaughtering_ all his opponents?" the tomb robber scathed. "Yes, peace, for _you_. Don't you know the truth? The Thousand Year Items are forbidden artifacts! Great power dwells within them! Have you ever heard of the village of Kul Elna?"

The old priest recoiled as though injured by that ever word. Yami no Yugi gazed around, the other priests seemed as unaffected as he was by the name. It held no significance with any of them, except with Akhenaden, the old priest…

"Do not listen to this sinner's lies!" the old priest, Akhenaden, cried. "He is trying to corrupt your will! It is all nonsense!"

It was clear from the expressions on the priests faces that none of them believed the Thief's words. Yami no Yugi saw that they really honestly thought of the Items were justice. Perhaps they were… but from what he had seen, from Pegasus, to Malik, to Bakura, there was undoubtedly something… dark in them. Perhaps a dark past?

"To insult the Pharaoh means death!" Seth interrupted. "We priests will carry out your execution!"

The Thief King looked too pleased. "I'll destroy you all at once then!"

In a fury of movement, the guards brought stone tablets for the priests. The priests were joining together to fight. Illusions of monsters were called forth from the tablets but none were as grand or as large as Diaboundo. Under other circumstances, Yami no Yugi would want to know how they fought with these monsters, the rules, the game, but not now. Yami no Yugi wasn't paying attention to the battle.

He was fixated on the discarded mummy by the Thief King's feet.

'Former Pharaoh…?'

He did not turn to the Pharaoh, did not risk eye contact. He only tried vaguely to imitate his aibou's tone when he asked, "Who is Akhenamkhanen?"

The Pharaoh was motionless in his throne. "My father."

/Father! / Yugi exclaimed from inside his mind. /That means… /

'My father?' Yami no Yugi realized. 'That corpse is my father. Was my father…' Why could he not remember? Shouldn't he? Now that he was in his own time. Why was his memory still as blank as ever…?

How could the Pharaoh just sit there while his priest fought? Yami no Yugi wanted to ask why. Why the King of Egypt would not defend his father— _their_ father? He was the Pharaoh and yet he did nothing but sit, mess with his harem, and flirt with his councilors, the priests, even Yugi!

'What kind of King was I?' the spirit thought as he watched the monsters fly around the room and clash and clash and clash… 'What kind of world is this…?'

/Mou hitori no boku…/

And Yami no Yugi felt sick. To the depths of his soul.

It was surreal experience, stepping off the throne's raised platform and out onto the echoing floor.

"Yugi!" The Pharaoh had finally moved, lurching after his guest. "Yugi, come back! You're in danger!"

The whole country was in danger if the King could not act, was too afraid to protect his own father!

The monsters would not hurt him, the spirit knew this. The monsters were occupied with each other. Monsters? But what were monsters? All he knew was that they came from people…

/What is taken out of a sinner to create a monster? What happens to that person who no longer has that piece of their self? Is that what the Sennen Items are for? Creating monsters? Judging sinners?/ Yugi asked.

"I do not know," the spirit answered out loud. He was half way across the floor now. A tail lashed over his head, an explosion to his left, yet the spirit, controlling that teenage body, continued to walk.

He was five feet away from the Thief King. Who was laughing and laughing...

"You fools are no match for my Diaboundo!" he screamed with delight.

But the spirit had no interest in this.

"Move."

Yami no Yugi reached out and pushed the tomb robber out of the way.

The corpse of his father was at his feet now.

"Yugi!" the Pharaoh was shouting some distance behind him. "YUGI!"

But the spirit could focus on nothing but the mummy, not even the tomb robber beside him. This was his father. This corpse was his father…

"_Bastard_!"

/Mou hitori no boku!/ Yugi warned shrilly.

There was an explosion of pain on his forehead and then a snap and the spirit could suddenly see and breathe. The mask had fallen to the ground his face exposed but there was the body of his father— his father! And the spirit of the Puzzle leaned down and touched the rotten strips of linen of the mummy…

/Mou hitori no boku! Mahaado! Look out!/

With his aibou's voice, the spirit finally turned. It seemed that the Thief King didn't like to be pushed. Diaboundo's snake mouth had dove for him, an outstretched fang had broke the straps of the mask, but a human-shaped, purple monster had protected him from the deadliness of the attack. Mahaado's? He wasn't sure how he knew that…

"_You_—"

Yami no Yugi looked up and now that he saw the tomb robber's face close up and he knew even though that dirty head cloth concealed his white hair…

Bakura. This was the Bakura of the past. And the tomb robber looked at him undoubtedly recognizing this too.

The Thief King's face changed. He had figured it out. "_Clever_, Oh-sama."

"Bakura," the spirit answered, standing once again. "I _will_ destroy you."

"Evidentially not. Apparently we both survive quite a long time." And the tomb robber's gaze drifted over to Mahaado's monster. "Shame, isn't it?"

"_This_ time," the spirit promised. "I will."

The Thief King smirked. "Omoshiroi, mou hitori no Pharaoh."

A wave of souls from the priests came flying to the rescue. Yami no Yugi ducked down as the Thief King was driven backwards by force.

Someone's rapid feet were approaching and the spirit, and he knew whose they were.

'Aibou, change with me.'

/Grab the mask,/ Yugi agreed.

The spirit of the Puzzle fell back into this rightful place as Yugi's personality surfaced and took over the body. The mask was found just as the Pharaoh found him.

"Yugi! Get the mask and get back!" the King of Egypt demanded.

Yugi held the mask to his face and let the Pharaoh drag him to his feet.

"What are you going to do?" Yugi asked the Pharaoh, panting. "He will defeat the priests."

On the other side of the room, the priests had driven Diaboundo away from Yugi and the Pharaoh but they were not winning the battle.

"Then I will fight," the Pharaoh answered, his hands on Yugi's shoulders, holding the boy tight to his own body.

'See? Mou hitori no boku,' Yugi pleaded. 'He's going to fight too.'

The spirit said nothing but noticed Yugi's inclination to lean against the Pharaoh's body. How his arms were so willingly wrapped around the Pharaoh's waist…

The tomb robber was ecstatic with madness. "Remember my name, Pharaoh! The king of Thieves! _Bakura_ the King of Thieves! Remember _forever_ and _ever_!" And Diaboundo crashed his enemies to the floor.

"Justice is in the name of God," the Pharaoh recited in Egyptian. "And that God's name is…"

A surge of power. The spirit could feel it touch him even from the inside of the Sennen Puzzle. It tickled and hurt. Yugi, controlling the body, shuddered.

"_OBELISK_!" and the Pharaoh's commanding voice seemed to reach every corner of the spirit's consciousness.

Even in the depths of his soulroom, Yami no Yugi could feel the God come to Earth.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Malik found spirit-Bakura on the roof. "Heyya!"

This Bakura didn't answer, as usual, the ass.

Malik sat down beside him anyway because there was nothing else to do when the Thief-Bakura wasn't around. "Watcha looking at?"

And to his surprise, Spirit-Bakura smirked. "God."

At that exact second a huge blast of light jumped from one of the tallest temples of the Pharaoh's city and launched itself into the palace.

Malik nearly fell off the roof. "_Fuck_!" He got his footing again. "What was _that_? Lightening?"

"Not today. It's the Earth Shaker," he responded. The spirit of the Ring was practically being friendly today.

Malik gaped. "Obelisk? _Here_?"

Yami no Bakura was too interested in the city to answer Malik again.

Five minutes later, like a massive column of light connecting earth and the sky, there was an equally large blast of energy that made the ground quiver.

Malik flinched, as the ringing in his ears finally faded. "What does that mean?"

"Means he's lost," Spirit-Bakura answered. But he was still smirking.

"He lost? I thought he was supposed to win?" Malik questioned.

Spirit-Bakura's smirk could not have been more mysterious or sinister. "Only the first encounter." He stood up. "All is going according to plan."

Malik didn't like the wicked look on that Bakura's face as he dropped off the roof.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The receiving room would have to be rebuilt. Luckily, no more innocents had died in its collapse, only the guards Bakura the King of Thieves killed while entering the royal gates.

It had been very lucky, considering the powerful aura that had surged through the entire space. The Thief, after a direct hit from the Earth Shaker God, had barely escaped with his life. But then escaping at all was no small feat.

No one else had even seen the Gods, not since the Great Wars of the former Pharaoh's time when the hostile neighboring countries had wanted the Egyptian wealth and land for themselves. Obelisk had destroyed the armies of the southern invaders. No enemy soldiers had survived and yet… this thief, this single thief could stand before all six priests, threaten them into a corner, force the Pharaoh to reveal the King's secret weapon, cause the Thousand Year Ring to react so…

This would not be tolerated. As his pride of a priest, Mahaado would not let this happen again.

Workers cleaned up the stone debris that Obelisk and Diaboundo had left after thief encounter. The Pharaoh's hand, the one that commanded millions of souls in a single wave, never left Yugi's shoulder. Always tense, always rigid, the Pharaoh made sure he was always physically connected to his precious guest.

"Mahaado."

The ever-present Isis was at his side, her face as tragic as always.

"I will take care of things here," she assured. And her eyes foretold much more than Mahaado could comprehend, than any human should comprehend. Such was the fate of the one chosen by the Thousand Year Tauk. "Follow the Pharaoh."

Isis knew Mahaado. She knew that as the King of Egypt turned from the room and made to leave, Mahaado wanted nothing more than to follow his Pharaoh.

"It is my duty to be here," Mahaado announced, prepared to stay.

But the priestess put her hand on his shoulder. "Mahaado. As head of the tomb guardians you must reinitiate the former Pharaoh's body back into itself afterlife."

Her eyes told him he was meant to go.

Mahaado could not fight the power of fate.

He did caught up with the Pharaoh's pace. "My Pharaoh."

The King stopped walking but his head did not turn to face his priest. Yugi did however, his masked face rotating to see Mahaado though his body was still pressed into the Pharaoh's side.

Mahaado could see the tension in the King's shoulders. And pity almost stopped him from speaking again. "We should perform the ceremonial burial of the former Pharaoh as soon as possible so that he may return to the afterlife."

There was a pause where the Pharaoh did not move. Mahaado cursed the legion of guards surrounding them, for if the Pharaoh and Mahaado could be alone then the priest would throw himself on his knees and prostrate himself and scream for forgiveness. The burial grounds, tomb robbers, they were all his responsibilities.

"Yes," the Pharaoh granted, and he forced Yugi's body to turn with him.

The ceremony was long, even after the numbers of lower priests were gathered, and the amount of oils and linen and spices had to be located. All the while the Pharaoh stood observing the cleansing of the body, Yugi at his side. This "harem" was not supposed to be in a sacred space but all overlooked him, for it was the will of the Pharaoh.

The sun, Ra, had long since entered the Land of the Dead before the ceremony was completed. Mahaado cleaned his own hands of sacred oils and cleansed those priests underneath him. Then the Pharaoh and Yugi with their guards left. Mahaado followed behind as the King was escorted to his nighttime chambers.

"Do not sleep," Mahaado instructed the guards that were to stand outside the room and guard the Pharaoh during the night. Then he too entered the Pharaoh's living quarters.

Away from other eyes, Yugi had already removed the mask. His round face was pink from his long concealment. The Pharaoh had gone out onto the balcony, stance rigid and silence.

Yugi greeted the priest when he entered. "He hasn't said a thing." And the boy glanced over his shoulder at the King of Egypt.

Determined, Mahaado crossed the room, out onto the balcony, and fell to his knees in one movement.

"My Pharaoh!" He lowered himself, fancy robes and all, to the floor, pressing his shame against the stone. "It is all my fault. My responsibility. The tombs are supposed to be under my protection. I should have sensed such a sinner coming. I will take all the blame. Deliver onto me your sacred punishment."

Small feet rushed to his side. But nothing was said. Perhaps Yugi understood the gravity of the situation, perhaps he too awaited the Pharaoh's rule.

The wind across Mahaado's back should have been a whip, tearing at his skin.

"Mahaado," the Pharaoh pronounced and from the sound of it he was still facing away from the priest. "Please deliver my father back into his afterlife."

And that was Mahaado's punishment. Silence. Guilt. The priest felt his soul crying out, screaming for judgment. And the Pharaoh could not do it? Because Mahaado had taught him everything? Because they had known each other forever? He would have punished any other priest severely. Not Mahaado… no, he had to live in whole health for his punishment…

It was the worse the priest could have expected.

He wanted to hurl his body off the building that very moment, grovel at the Pharaoh's feet, beg for physical pain instead of haunting ever-present guilt. Destruction of his mortal flesh rather than a blow to his inner self.

But the Pharaoh's word was law.

Mahaado stood, heavy with his punishment. "Yes, my Pharaoh."

The priest turned to leave but met Yugi's face, drawn with pity. "Mahaado…"

Was he to carry this boy's guilt too?

"How is it?" Yugi asked frantically. And behind the Pharaoh's back he pointed to the Ring on Mahaado's chest.

The Ring. The impossible Item that had captured Mahaado's soul. The Item that had during the fight between the Thief Bakura and the priests had attempted several times to throw Mahaado's influence off like a rider off a stallion.

The concern in Yugi's eyes told the priest everything.

"You can't keep your eyes off it, can you?" Mahaado asked.

Yugi swallowed.

That was all the confirmation Mahaado needed. "You have experiences with this Ring then?"

Yugi nodded but out of fear could not speak.

Mahaado gave the boy a courteous nod. "Then all is as you predicted."

Pain flashed across Yugi's expression. And what was that? A prophecy?

Mahaado left, with Yugi's pity and the Pharaoh's punishment driving him from the room.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Oh-sama – Lord King (the Thief King is using it to kinda make fun of Yami no Yugi)

Omoshiroi – interesting/amusing (this will be a far more interesting battle than he anticipated)

Mou hitori no Pharaoh – the other Pharaoh (like how Yugi says mou hitori no boku (the other me))

So how was it? There are going to be a lot more of scenes like this in the future so I hope you like it. I didn't take all the dialogue all from one source, some is from Shounen Jump some is from an online translation and some is from the Hong Kong subtitles of the episodes. I just chose which words I liked best. Hope it wasn't too confusing!

And as always, Bakura is the shit. Heehee. (girlish giggle)

Please tell me what you think!!! in a **REVIEW** perhaps… a **REVIEW**


	5. Quest for a Name

Hiddie ho, readers. Here's a little thing called a chapter, just for you.

Been traveling a lot, it being _that_ time of year.

Anywho, let's get it on and start this thing.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 5: The Quest for a Name**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

The dammed wooden door crunched. Broke under the Thief King's god-opposing foot.

Both Malik and Ryou, the pathetic fools who sat in the front room, flinched when he blasted through the fucking door.

"Shit!" Malik cried, arms flying up to protect his head.

Ryou didn't have time to say anything, because the Thief King dived for him and had him by his pasty throat. And the boy with skin as pale and as bright as silver was slammed up against the wall. The shack quivered on its feeble foundation.

"Ryou!" Malik jumped to his feet but the King kicked him in the chest so that he fell to the floor again. Then the Thief King closed in on his target, pressing his body against the pale boy, the impossibility. Those brown eyes were huge close up.

"_Who_ the _fuck_ are you?" the Thief demanded. "And _don't_ you give me that _crap_ like you did the last time!"

Ryou, though terrified, was just as uncompromising. "What do you want me to say?"

"The _truth_!" the Thief screamed into Ryou's face. It was so clean and so smooth and so… fuck! He could _not_ think of that now!

"Get off of him!" Malik warned.

And there was a golden flash of light, but it didn't come from the Ring under Ryou's shirt. No, when the Thief King was thrown off of Ryou and hit the floor, he saw Malik, face sweaty, clutching the Rod, its golden eye on him.

And for some reason, the fact that it was Malik who had attacked him made the Thief mad. Really fucking, god-fucking pissed. Off the floor, on his feet, Diaboundo so near the surface he could feel the creature's tail at his feet.

Malik took a step back, lowered his Item. "I-I'm sorry—" and he choked on his own words, wiping his head away, too ashamed. The fucker. "—but you can't threaten Ryou. He's _Ryou_. He's done nothing…"

As much as the Thief King wanted to kill Malik at that moment… "Tell me then, _who_ should I be threatening? My future self?"

Malik jumped in shock, and there was fear in his face. Ryou, still back against the wall, was motionless.

"How- how do—?" Malik stammered.

The Thief King laughed. "Then it _is_ true."

Malik flinched. But of course he would be the one to give it away. He was _so_ easy.

"You met Yugi-kun?" Ryou assumed. "He made it to the palace then…" His body relaxed, which was unacceptable. Did he forget that he had just been threatened? Did he want to be punished?

"How could I forget about him? With a name as uncommon as _Yugi_? He was your companion on that night, correct? The one that I was _supposed_ to capture according to this _whore_," and the Thief felt a little better insulting Malik. "You think I would miss his similarity to the Pharaoh? That obnoxious face!"

Ryou blinked.

"But there is still so much to know," the Thief rounded on Malik. "Why is it you don't resemble the arrogant fool who holds the Thousand Year Rod now?"

Malik gulped. Perhaps whore had been too much… "I don't know."

The Thief King cursed. He would not deal with Malik's emotions, he didn't care. The boy was an immature freak. Back to business. "Bring him out."

Ryou blinked. "I don't think he wants to."

The King of Thieves charged at the silver boy again. "_Get him out_!" he bellowed.

Ryou breathed, closed his eyes barely for a second. "He says…" And the boy's brow wrinkled, "Good job."

The fucker. The coward. The Thief wanted to hurt him, not Ryou, but that being inside the Ring. That _coward_! But the best he could do was shove the silver boy backwards against the shack again, walls trembling. "Then I'll _beat_ you until he comes out!" And he would too.

"No." That was Malik, "You won't." The clink of a metal was barely distinguishable behind the Thief's back.

Anger was transferred, and there was Malik ready to receive it. Exotic, terrified, and so _so_ vulnerable. "You're so willing to protect _him_, but what about _yourself_?" the Thief didn't need Diaboundo's help to deal with this freak. He swung his arm and his fist crashed into Malik's face. The boy fell like a pillar, not even bothering to catch himself. "Pathetic!" the Thief spat. "What? Unwilling to fight me unless it's for _him_? Don't you want to protect yourself? Or maybe… it's because it's me?"

Malik took his time pulling himself off the floor, his face hidden from the Thief.

And the Thief chuckled, teeth clenched. "Do you want to preserve my body? That is what you want, isn't it? My body? Whore."

_Bam_! The magic hit the Thief's chest hard. He was across the room again but this time loose sticks fell from the roof above when he collided with the wall. Malik dashed out of the shack, fleeing to the outside, face obscured by his sand colored hair.

The King of Thieves met Ryou's eyes and they were—unbelievingly—disappointed, like the look an elder would give to a misbehaving child. It was insulting and so unexpected that Thief let the boy escape outside to comfort his friend.

"Fuckers," the Thief King cursed.

And now that he was alone, he abandoned his composure and embraced the pain that filled ever muscle in his self. He had after all been attacked by the priests' Thousand Year Items, faced the god Obelisk, felt the strike to Diaboundo's center by that Earth God, and _then_ had to make his way back to the protective shack; it was no short distance between the palace and this side of the Nile.

His physical body hurt. It had pained him even to punch Malik, to shove Ryou up against the wall. He was mentally, spiritually, physically exhausted. He could not even make his legs get to their feet again. He had been running on pure pride to escape the guards and the city. Now he didn't have enough strength to spit out the blood that clogged his tongue.

"He doesn't understand!" Malik's obnoxious voice carried through the dry desert air, through the thinness of the shacks walls. "He _can't_ fucking _understand_!"

"Fool," the Thief coughed to himself. "You know I can hear you." Damn manipulative tricks.

Bakura. What kind of a name was that? Bakura. But that was apparently the Thief's real name. Now he knew how the being inside of Ryou knew everything. He knew what was going to happen because he could remember. He knew that the Thief had walked to failure that day. And he had let the Thief go.

The Thief's body nearly convulsed because of the overload of anger and hurt screaming at his brain.

The King of Thieves had been reduced to a pawn in his own future plan. The Thief hated being a pawn. Even if it was his own pawn. What did this mean? Was the Thief bound to turn into useless, powerless personality? A being without a body? A soul with no home?

He had a body now. One that was screaming at him.

Through his thoughts and panic signals, the Thief felt another being's touch. A hand on his shoulder. The Thief did not have the strength to pull out his multiple hidden daggers and deliver this person a righteous death.

"I'm moving you so you can rest."

Fuck. That was the nice personality. What was this one named? Ryou.

The Thief could not work up the strength to shove the boy away, or even turn his head. "Get off," he growled, though his vision was lazily focused on the spot of ground in front of his feet.

Ryou let go. "I'm not going to argue with you." And he left.

The Thief cursed and cursed again. And his body hurt and his soul hurt. Outside, Malik's sobs were as loud as fucking bell.

Wet and cool, someone was wasting water. As the liquid dripped down the Thief's face, he caught some with his tongue, tasting the blood, the sweat, street dirt on his lip. A clay rim of a cup. And the Thief conceded. The water was good, the hand supporting the back of his skull wasn't too bad either.

When the water was out, the cup drew away, and the hands of Ryou Bakura began to press a wet cloth to the wound on his head, the only physical cut to his body.

Fool. The boy didn't even know how to properly clean a cut.

The Thief opened his eyes. And he saw. He saw those huge brown eyes and that simple unpredictable nose, and that mouth slightly opened as air passed between his pale lips… the dip off his chin into a perfectly sized pale neck.

And instead of the Thief King's sex driving him wild at the sight of a young boy, it was Diaboundo who longed for a taste. Interesting…

"What happened to your eye, Dorobo-san?" Ryou asked, looking at the gruesome scar over Thief's right eye.

The Thief couldn't remember anymore. Just like how he couldn't remember his real name.

"A fight. I was ambushed." The Thief panted out the words, eyes fixed on the length of that perfect neck as it dropped into that foreign shirt. "Killed eight men."

Ryou made no comment. His cool fingers had drifted however from the Thief's head wound to his sweat soaked hair. The boy ran his hand through the Thief's hair. It was an odd motion, something the Thief King had not expected of Ryou. The boy must have realized this too, because he suddenly backed away, as though he had been caught.

"You look nice, without your head cloth." Ryou stood up, but the Thief could not make out his expression through all the pain that crowd his vision.

The Thief hadn't even realized that he had lost his head-covering. It must have been when Obelisk hit him. But of course the boy thought he looked nice without the cloth. His hair was white. He looked more like Ryou and Bakura with his hair uncovered.

But the Thief said none of this. And when Ryou seemed satisfied that he was not going to get an answer, he turned to rejoin Malik outside…

"Klaft."

Ryou turned, dazed expression. "What?"

"Head cloth? It's called a Klaft," the Thief King repeated.

"Oh." And that was it. Ryou nodded, turned back around and went outside to mop up sobbing Malik's tears.

The King of Thieves' pain had settled refusing to leave. He cursed. "Fucker."

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

After Mahaado left, the Pharaoh stayed out on the balcony for a long time. Yugi was quiet, trying to leave the King to his thoughts.

'But I can't leave him,' Yugi thought, watching the King of Egypt, the exotic fabrics of his royal clothes rustling. 'He must be so hurt.'

/Are you sure?/

Yugi gulped. Night in the desert was surprisingly cool.

Yugi didn't know how to take his dark half's agitation. He didn't understand it. 'Why do you say that? His father's body was violated right in front of him.' Didn't the spirit of the Puzzle have any sympathy for past self?

There was a pause. /And yet he did nothing./

'He was in shock,' Yugi protested. 'I'm sure defiling a tomb is far more serious to Egyptians than it is to us.'

/Then why didn't he take charge? Why didn't he want to attack Bakura first?/

Yugi opened his mouth in his fervency to respond. But before he could say anything…

"Yugi," the Pharaoh said. He was beckoning Yugi, simply with his commanding tone.

Apprehension fell on Yugi's shoulders. He shuffled forward out into night, next to the stone railing. The Pharaoh's face was stony. When Yugi approached, the Egyptian god reached out and snatched Yugi directly to his side. Yugi was enveloped in his heavy perfume and desert musk.

"Tell me about Bakura," the King ordered, squeezing his guest against his side.

Yugi flinched. "I'm sorry. I didn't know he was so important in this time."

The Pharaoh took his attention away from the scenery, and his eyes his eyes shot into Yugi, dominated him. "Do you have a Bakura in your time? A tomb robber that threatens the Sennen Items?"

Yugi bit his lip. 'Mou hitori no boku…?'

"Do not hesitate!" the King demanded. His grip tightened on Yugi's arm. It was more emotion than he had shown all day. "I know you have the answer. Why will you not simply say it?"

The spirit did not hesitate. /Tell him./

'But…' Yugi panicked. It was too complicated, the King wouldn't understand… He wanted to tell the King the truth but he also wanted to protect Bakura if possible, after all, for everything the spirit of the Ring did, Bakura's normal personality was equally as innocent. 'Besides I still don't know what this means for Mahaado…'

"_Yugi_?" the Pharaoh was already impatient. "_Who_ is Bakura?"

Yugi gulped. "I only didn't go into detail about Bakura because I didn't think he was significant. I didn't know he had double in the past like me! There's nothing in the legends about him. And he's…" Yugi gulped. "He's my friend."

The Pharaoh could not hide his surprise. He was physically taken aback, pulling Yugi away from his hip so he could glare at the boy better. "Your Bakura does not steal the Sennen Items? He does not threaten the very balance of your country?"

Yugi stumbled on his tongue; the Pharaoh saw his weakness, suspicion invaded his god-like face again.

"No, I mean," Yugi looked away, he had to. "He tried to steal the Sennen Items, but in the end he helped me collect them!"

The Pharaoh was not impressed, and he grabbed Yugi's chin and forced it to look back at the King of Egypt. "Why would he help you collect the Items if he wanted them for himself?" the Pharaoh asked. His eyes revealed his every single emotion.

"I don't know," Yugi admitted. "He's… mysterious."

"Did he get the Items in your time?" Pharaoh asked.

How did he know? How could the Pharaoh always ask the most important questions? But he was as intuitive as Yugi's darker half so it wasn't so surprising.

/You have to give him something,/ Yami no Yugi advised. /The past Bakura knows about me. He knows who Bakura is, and who you are and your connection to the Pharaoh. It would be a disadvantage to our side not to tell him anything./

Yugi breathed. "He does have an Item…"

Urgency grasped the Pharaoh as the King's hold on Yugi's arms tightened. "Which one?"

Yugi could not stop it, he could not prevent this… "The Ring."

The tight hold on Yugi's arms released at once, blood flowing back to his limbs. And the Pharaoh was speechless. Yugi watched as horror invaded the King's face.

To continue the conversation, to not dwell on the tragic possibilities of this fact, Yugi rambled on. He told the Egyptian King again about all the Item holders, not holding back this time as he had done before in the map room. Pegasus, who had disappeared, Malik and how he had tried to kill Yugi, Ishizu, Malik's sister who had given Yugi her Item…

This brought the Pharaoh back. "Show it to me."

Yugi ran into the bedroom to where he kept his modern clothes and out of a jean pocket he pulled the dull Sennen Tauk.

"I've never known a person to hold two Items," the King of Egypt said, not touching the modern Item.

Yugi blinked as he put the Tauk away again. "In my time, the Sennen Scales and the Sennen Key are both held by a man named Shadi."

The Pharaoh's expression was grave. "He must be extremely powerful."

Yugi shrugged. "He's helped me a lot… except that time when he entered my mind—but that was a misunderstanding! And since we're talking about Bakura, my Bakura anyway." Yugi knew he had to tell the Pharaoh. He should have told him sooner. "You should probably know he's here, in your Egypt."

In light of this new significant information, the King had a right to panic. "_Your_ Bakura is _here_?"

Yugi wanted to explain but the situation was too complicated. "But we were helping each other out! He stol- _got_ me food and water when we were on the run, he suggested we come to see you. Honestly, I think he doesn't even know why we're here!"

"He suggested you come to the palace? What happened to him?" the Pharaoh demanded. He was suspicious and accusing, even to his fellow Puzzle holder, which Yugi thought was unfair.

"We were attacked, the night before I arrived at the palace," Yugi said, "Bakura was grabbed by some guy who jumped out of the shadows. Bakura protected me so I could get away," Yugi added righteously.

But the Pharaoh only grew more skeptical. "And you have not seen him since?"

"No," Yugi insisted. "Though… I think he might have met his past self."

"Why?" the Pharaoh questioned.

"Your Bakura spoke Japanese to me." Truthfully he had spoken to Yugi's Yami… "And Malik. Malik is here too. I saw him briefly the first night but by morning he had disappeared. That's it. I don't believe there is anyone else."

The Pharaoh was piecing Yugi's stories together. "Malik? The one who holds the Rod? Does he look significantly like Seth?"

Yugi was almost sorry to disappoint him. "No… he looks nothing like Seth. Which is confusing, isn't it?"

The Pharaoh's expression fell into deep concentration; it was as if Yugi was not even there. "Aren't you in danger? Because this Malik keeps trying to kill you?"

"He doesn't want to kill me anymore. He just thought that I had killed his father! Which I didn't. So he's not evil anymore."

It was obvious that the Pharaoh was not convinced.

There was a pause now. Yugi racked his brain, trying to think of anything he might have missed, anything in his life that might affect the past. The Pharaoh was buried deep in his own thoughts. Perhaps they were both silent because neither wanted to address the truly painful topic. But Yugi had to, because the worry was making him sick.

"Pharaoh…" Yugi mentioned, weakly. The King did not look at him, as though he could tell what Yugi was about to say. "If my Bakura has the Ring—"

"What does that mean for Mahaado?" the Pharaoh concluded stonily.

Yugi swallowed. The Pharaoh, as though thrusting himself away from this topic, turned away from the railing and strode back inside. Yugi followed with clumsy feet.

The Pharaoh stood next to his bed, the cloud of many exotic fabrics and cushions at his feet. His face was so… tortured. The spirit would never allow himself to be so vulnerable. Why did the two of them, the Pharaoh and the spirit of the Puzzle, have such different personalities?

/Because he has lived his life as a King,/ the dark personality answered. /And I have existed with your influence. You changed me./

Yugi didn't know why, but that statement made his face glow, despite the heavy atmosphere.

"Yugi," the Pharaoh called.

Yugi, like a good servant, went to his side. "Yes?"

The Pharaoh was not looking at him. But his voice had lost all pride as he asked, requested, oddly polite, "It would seem strange to the guards if you, supposedly my harem, left and slept somewhere else."

And the King's fingers reached up and unclasped his robe as his said this.

Yugi couldn't disagree. "Yeah…" But then where would he sleep?

"You will sleep here," the Pharaoh ordered, but it was with such strange weakness… Yugi's darker personality could never be that weak, not with his pride. Yami no Yugi could be desperate, yes, but not weak. This Pharaoh was so odd. So new.

He was removing his golden jewelry, his various necklaces and ornamented head bands, until there was nothing left but a single wrap around his waist. The Pharaoh's bare shoulders glowed in the oil lamp light. And Yugi watched him remove the Sennen Puzzle from around his neck and hang it on one of the bed's posts. Then without hesitation, lowered himself onto his bed of cushions.

/_Aibou_…/ Yami no Yugi warned.

Yugi blushed. 'Mou hitorino boku.'

/You're not really going to…/ the spirit of the Puzzle asked.

'We're just sleeping,' Yugi insisted, feet moving forward, closer to the bed.

The spirit actually sounded spiteful. /Just make sure he's actually asleep./

Yugi could not have been more embarrassed. Since when was the Pharaoh— since when was Yugi—could—possibly have _relations_ of _that_ kind! He was the Pharaoh after all—the King of Egypt! He was… mou hitori no boku in a past life… and mou hitori no boku was… was…

"Are you going to stand there all night?" the Pharaoh questioned, not facing Yugi.

Yugi jumped. "Sorry." And, as he always did, lifted the chain of his Sennen Puzzle.

/Be careful./

Yugi refused to answer, but removed the Puzzle and placed it on the ground by the bed. He wouldn't be far away, if needed he could take over Yugi's body. That's the only way Yugi got any sleep.

Strangely fearless, Yugi lowered himself onto the royal bed, it was the softest thing ever. A welcome after such a stressful day.

And then the bronze arms that followed soon afterward…When Yugi recognized who those royal arms belonged to, he froze. Shit, his darker half had been right. _Shit_. How was Yugi going to escape this?

"I didn't think you ever took your Puzzle off," the Pharaoh whispered, as though it was a secret. As though he and Yugi were having a very intimate moment. As though Yugi couldn't feel the King's naked chest against his side…

"You're not going to take off your clothes?" the King asked, and he seemed to pull himself even closer to Yugi. "Won't you be hot?"

It was true, Yugi had only managed to take off the mask and the outer layer of fluffy clothes, he was still wearing a long tunic and an elegant belt, one that dug uncomfortably into his skin.

"N-no," Yugi said, trying to twist away from the King, away from the warm arms and body, but he didn't seem able to escape them. It was like the Pharaoh was pulling him in, reeling in his catch.

Yugi was so close that the Pharaoh could easily place his mouth on Yugi's ear. "I've figured it out," he said, words breathy so that Yugi's skin tingled. "I know what you are now."

Yugi was inclined to shove the King off and run away, but after all the Pharaoh had been through that day… It wasn't as though they were doing anything, at the moment. Egypt at this time had a whole different culture, perhaps the King was often affectionate when alone with one of his… officials… but then Yugi didn't want to think about that either.

The arms around Yugi tightened, if possible. "You're a god."

Yugi flinched. "A what?"

The Pharaoh chuckled and physically turned Yugi toward him. And Yugi was suddenly exposed to the Pharaoh's bare, but pleasantly sculpted chest, and to his hungry, hungry eyes that left nothing up to the imagination.

Yugi really should run now. Or call his other half or something…

But those eyes were oddly captivating…

"You fell from the sky and came to my Kingdom, to judge and test me, is that correct?" the Pharaoh proposed.

Yugi tried to turn away. This was such an attitude change from moments ago on the balcony! "No. I'm not a god."

"I say you are." He lifted one hand from around Yugi and, oh god, touched his face, tracing the boy's pale skin. "You're stories are all quite clever, but I like this explanation the best. It explains everything much more simply, don't you think?"

"No," Yugi insisted. "Because it is not true—"

But the Pharaoh shushed him, that illusive finger finding its way onto Yugi's lips. "I am a god of the earth, and you are of the sky. Are we really that different?"

Yugi said nothing. Nothing he could say would stop the Pharaoh now.

"Like Geb and Nut at the beginning of creation," Pharaoh was not phased by Yugi's obvious awkwardness. "We should be legendary." The Pharaoh's musk intoxicated Yugi along with the perfumes of the fabrics about him.

'I wish I had paid attention in school, who the hell are Nut and Geb?' Yugi screamed in his head.

The Puzzle, which really wasn't that far away, sparked and a thought leapt across the distance from the dark personality's mind to Yugi's. /Geb is the earth and Nut is the sky in the creation story. Their love gave birth to all the other gods./

But Yugi was too slow. 'Their love…'

And his thoughts died, his spindling connection with the Puzzle broke, as the Pharaoh's mouth grabbed for Yugi's.

Yugi's body shuddered, and warmed…

This was not good, this was not good. Was this what Mahaado had warned him about before? The Pharaoh was… kissing… the Pharaoh was not— he was not— 'Mou hitori no boku…' Yugi moaned in himself.

That thought traveled too far. /I'll _kill_ him./ Anger was building up in the Puzzle as the Pharaoh's tongue had Yugi's bottom lip.

With a taste of regret and panic, Yugi shoved the King in the chest with all his might and managed to rip his mouth away from the contact. And Yugi struggled against the pull and softness of the blankets and scrambled to escape the bed.

But the Pharaoh grabbed his arm before he could get away. "Where are you going?"

Yugi continued to struggle. "I'm sorry, _really_ I am, but I don't think this is such a good idea—"

With one good tug, Yugi lost his balance and fell back into the bed where two arms quickly bound him in place. "Calm down, my most unusual god."

"I'm not a god!" Yugi cried. "I swear to you! I am nothing special I'm just a normal person! I—"

But the Pharaoh shushed him and squeezed the boy until he finally stopped moving. Yugi was hot with humiliation. He had never been so close to another body before. Though he and his darker half sometimes drew quick close when in the confines of their soulrooms…

Yugi worked up his courage again. "Please let me go."

"I thought you liked me." He felt the words vibrate in the Pharaon's chest against his back.

Yugi could not have been more confused, his darker half would never do this! It was so middle school, and yet… it moved Yugi's heart a little. "I… do like you, but," he added quickly, "I like… someone else." This was _so_ juvenile.

The Pharaoh twisted Yugi's body around manually. And his expression was as childish as his voice. "You would choose that person over the _Pharaoh_?"

Yugi bit his lip, but there was only one answer. "Yes."

The Pharaoh's face fell. "You are quite lucky," he growled.

Trying perhaps to distance himself from the King, Yugi pulled his arms and body to the edge of the bed. "Why?"

"_Why_?" the King snapped. Again, like a tantrum. "I am the Pharaoh, you foolish boy-god. I could take you, I have the right. I could murder your lover quite easily."

Yugi couldn't help but to smile. "But you won't."

The Pharaoh scowled, he was angry. "I am still considering it." And he rolled over to the other side of the bed. Yugi wondered if perhaps he wanted Yugi to leave but the King of Egypt said nothing. So Yugi snuck back under the blankets and curled himself in the mess of cushions, feeling oddly safe now. As though he could understand the Pharaoh… a little.

With a fling of his arm, Yugi dropped his hand off the bed so that his fingers brushed the surface of the Puzzle.

As Yugi drifted off to sleep, his consciousness traveled down to his soulroom where his other self was lingering.

'How did you know that he would make a move on me?' Yugi asked his other personality.

The spirit of the Puzzle looked agitated. /Because he's me./

Yugi should not have been shocked by this answer. 'Would… if you were in his place… would you try to lure me into bed?'

The spirit was startled out of his bad mood. /… hasn't it already worked?/

And Yugi realized that he had in fact appeared on a metaphysical bed in his own soulroom, the spirit of the Puzzle sat on the corner of the mattress, half facing away.

'Oh…' Yugi's face bloomed in heat. 'Don't know why I didn't see that before…'

/You said you liked someone else…/ the spirit said suddenly, which was unusual for him.

Yugi breathed, fingers touching his hair. 'I guess I did…'

The spirit twisted around, red eyes blazing with intensity, but still thick with mystery. Unlike the Pharaoh, Yugi could not read the spirit. /Who do you like?/

Yugi gaped. 'I thought you knew!'

The spirit brought in knees onto the mattress, leaning closer to Yugi. /I didn't want to assume…/

'It's you,' Yugi said before anything else could be mistaken. 'I've, you know, always, _always_, liked you… a lot.'

The spirit's normally expressionless face brightened, as though he looked more youthful than ancient. /I feel the same, aibou./

They were quite close. But kissing wouldn't work, not in this non-physical environment, even though it was on both of their minds, and they both knew it.

Yugi smiled and took his darker half's hands. 'Sleep with me?'

The other rolled his eyes. /Don't I always?/

Yugi giggled. And the two of then lay down on the bed in each other's meta-physical arms and slept.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The water of the Nile was cool under the fierce desert sun. As Ryou rubbed his scalp with the river water he tried not to think about all the things the ancient Egyptians undoubtedly dumped into the river during this time period. He was up river from the Pharaoh's city at least.

Malik hadn't come back that morning as he usually did. Ryou had been all alone in the house last night with a gloomy and groaning Thief King who had refused to be carried, dragged in all reality, to his bed and therefore spent the night in the front room, gasping through his pain. But he had disappeared by the time the sun rose, and Ryou had woken up to find himself once again in an empty house. A dreadfully boring house…

Well… not alone, but with no company to speak of.

So Ryou went to the river, which coincidentally wasn't too far away. Having grown up in the modern age after all, Ryou had become quite conscious of his own smell. He had found a spare cloth in the house, and when he had stripped off his modern clothes, behind the protection of a scraggily bush, he wrapped that clothe around his waist and jumped in the water.

The weather couldn't be nicer, but it was still boring…

'I wonder where everyone is…' Ryou pondered, doing a pseudo-butterfly stroke in mindless circles in the shallow side of the river.

But then, as though in answer to his thoughts…

/Get out of the water,/ It was a command.

Ryou was so supremely delighted to have a conversation that he ignored the order. "Why?" he asked out loud.

/_He's_ here./

Ryou looked around, curious, and spotted something glistening on a rock a short distance away, like sliver flash of a tail.

"Oh, him." Ryou was reasonably pleased and waded closer to the glittering thing.

There was an unmistakable feeling of agitation from the Ring around Ryou's neck, and he couldn't help grinning to himself, proud of coaxing a readable emotion out of the soul in the Ring.

Once again, Ryou was looking at the silver snake, sunbathing in the desert sun. And when Ryou reached out to it this time, it didn't move, though its black eyes were open. Ryou was very surprised that he actually managed to touch the snake's head this time, it was hard and smooth like metal…

Then a strong hand grabbed him from behind and dragged him back into the river with a large splash. Ryou was being pressed against a much larger, _naked_, chest behind him. And there was a knife to his throat but that wasn't surprising, considering who it was…

"What—" Dorobo was panting, exhausted it seemed, "The hell do you think— you're doing, pale-face?" he demanded. But his voice wasn't as scary as the Ring's.

"Swimming," Ryou answered, remaining very still. For some reason he wasn't scared, which he thought odd.

There was a large mouth at his ear, foul breath too. "And what do you think you were touching? An innocent water spirit?"

Ryou didn't answer since he didn't know what it was, and the only reason he was touching it was to disobey his darker half so he would have someone to talk to, which had been working until Dorobo showed up.

The flat edge of the knife cris-crossed over Ryou's throat. "Why aren't you scared?"

"I don't think you want to kill me," Ryou answered simply, because it was true.

The chest behind Ryou shook with laughter. "But I want to _hurt_ you very much."

Ryou wasn't worried, not as long as he had the Ring…

And then Dorobo cut the string which held the Sennen Ring on Ryou's neck. Instinctively Ryou, taking no notice of the knife or the strong arms attempting to hold him back, wriggled out of his hold and jumped for the Item. He caught it within two seconds.

Dorobo was laughing again. So Ryou turned around to face the copper-toned thief. His wild white hair was only calmed by the weight of water. "Do you want to talk to him that bad?" Ryou asked. "Cause that won't make him come out."

Dorobo stopped laughing, that murderous instinct back in his eyes. "If I really tried to kill you he would."

Ryou shook his head. "He doesn't even talk to me, so why would he listen to you?"

But then Dorobo's mad eyes darted down to Ryou's chest. His hand holding the dagger relaxed. "What's that?"

Ryou flinched, turned away. But Dorobo jumped forward in a splash of water, dropping the dagger and grabbing the boy with both hands. He turned Ryou back around, lifting his slim body out of the river. "What are these?" And the thief's fingers traced five scares in a half-circle shape on Ryou's abdomen.

Ryou didn't move, Dorobo was too strong, and those fingers tracing his bare stomach… "It was a long time ago."

Dorobo's eyes were wide, examining the old wounds. "_He_ did this to you, with the Ring. Or I am _going_ to do this to you…" Dorobo did not let go, he did not even look up into Ryou's face, but his fingers kept moving on Ryou's unprotected stomach. "Why did I choose _you_? Your body is so weak."

Ryou shrugged. "Your priorities probably change in three thousand years."

Dorobo's face scowled, as though he didn't like Ryou's suggestion. "Yours is the last type of body I would choose. So why you?"

Ryou wondered that sometimes himself.

And then the hand that was on Ryou's stomach moved and wrapped around Ryou's back, and the hand on his shoulder traveled to his hair.

"I hate your hair," Dorobo spat, though he did not meet Ryou's eyes. "I hate your wimpy fingers. I hate your dull eyes."

Ryou didn't know how close he should allow Dorobo to get. Their bodies were practically touching already. And for all Ryou knew, Dorobo might be as naked below the water as he was above.

The hand on Ryou's lower back pressed him closer, and the bare chests met, which was odd because Dorobo's was so much broader that his. It was as though the thief could swallow him, easily. "I don't like you at all. You're not my type," Dorobo said. And his head leaned closer, still not looking into Ryou's face though. "What is your purpose, pale boy?" the thief hissed. "Nothing. You have none, except to provide my future self with access the outside world. When I find you in my future I will rip out your soul and let it dissolve into nothingness, then I won't have to share any space with your oblivious thoughts."

And Ryou realized. "You're the snake, aren't you?"

Dorobo grinned, unpleasantly. "You guess correctly. But why, if you're not supposed to meddle in my past, are you turning my Diaboundo colors?"

"It was silver when I met it," Ryou answered. And thinking that this closeness had gone on long enough, Ryou pulled away from Dorobo's body.

But this made the thief angry. "Hypocrite!" he screamed suddenly and snatched Ryou's back, slamming him against his bare chest, water sloshed out of the way. "You go and comfort that Malik-whore but you want my sex as much as he does! I can see it in you."

"No," Ryou said. "No, it's not you I want." And perhaps some of that truth was conveyed because this time when Ryou tried to free himself from Dorobo's arms, he was allowed to escape. With the Sennen Ring in one hand and holding the wrap around his waist in the other, Ryou waded out of the river, picked up his modern clothes, and ran back to the shack.

His ankles were trembling as he finally got back indoors. He pressed the Ring up against his chest, where it belonged. And Ryou realized he had been afraid that those strong arms were going to drag him back into the water. He could only guess why…

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

hmmmm hmmmm hmmm lots of developments, no? Teehee. Oh the complications! The triangles!! Oh what will happen to our beloved characters?

Don't worry, nothing is resolved yet, anything could happen.

There were no Japanese terms this chapter however there was a mention of certain scars that Ryou has. I don't know if he has scars but I would imagine that if all five points of the Sennen Ring were driven into Ryou's flesh that they would leave some kind of mark behind (this action happened in the manga during season 0) I could see it actually happening, considering the personalities of the parties involved.

Hope you all got your fill. Good chapter. (nods)

**NOW REVIEW!!**


	6. The Ancient Duel

Wowers. I forgot this was here. Literally forgot. Been traveling, sorry guys. I'll try to get another chapter up super soon after this one. Thanks be due to my fav, Psychotic Tendencies who told me to get myself back into shape. She's so cool.

GO READ TIME!

I created the idea of naming all my chapters after chapters in the manga but this isn't going to work for very much longer I realized cause I have more chapters than the manga does… I don't know what I'll do yet… also the chapter titles have nothing to do with the where this fic corresponds with the manga. If so I'd been on chapter: "The supreme blow!" I think…

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 6: The Ancient Duel**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

"How does it work?" Yugi with his wide eyes and irresistible energetic attitude asked. "Your kind of dueling, I mean, the whole monster fighting thing?"

He asked these kinda of questions many times. The Pharaoh would have been interested too if he had fallen from the sky and his only means of battle had been with pieces of paper! How dull. "How can you control a Thousand Year Item and not know of your own Ka?"

Yugi and his masked head shrugged. And so they started the tours of the various Ka temples, buildings that rivaled the height of the sky with thousands upon thousands of tablets of captured Kas. Yugi was ecstatic, though his masked face could not reveal the full extent of his joy. Questions poured out as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"You shall come to the Ka battle practice today," the Pharaoh recommended.

It was the morning so Yugi dropped the golden belt he had been adjusting in his surprise. His mouth gaped. "_Really_? I can? It's ok if I'm there?"

He looked so happy.

And the Pharaoh couldn't resist.

"It is the will of the Pharaoh that you attend," the King of Egypt answered.

Yugi smiled, hugging his _Puzzle_ to his chest.

Oh, that Puzzle. That sinister paradox.

Things had been strained after Yugi had rejected the Pharaoh that night. _Naturally_ the Pharaoh was not used to being spurned. He would have taken Yugi, without his permission but for that Puzzle and its impressive aura. There were times when it seemed as though the Item watched him with that carven golden eye… but no, that was not possible.

"Is today a better day to accept my affections?" the Pharaoh inquired, which made Yugi drop his belt again. His face, and what a god-like face it was, pinked as his eyes wandered astray.

"S-sorry, my answer is the same," Yugi said, turning away to dress properly.

So this day was no different from any other. The Pharaoh had thought he would charm Yugi with the promise of seeing a Ka practice, but apparently that wasn't even enough. How much more would the Pharaoh have to give until the boy gave into him? He was going mad with the wait, sleeping beside that him every night…

The Pharaoh's servants applied the color to his face as usual, the gold ornaments for his head and hair and ears. Finally he was presentable as a King of the Earth.

Yugi had his mask on again and those countless fluffy robes. His creamy hand extending out of the mass was oddly… sensual… the Pharaoh had no idea how he resisted ripping the floating fabric away… was he not even drawn to his own female harem anymore? Was this boy _so_ distracting?

The Ka practice was like any other. The King settled in his throne to observe, it would be unfair for the Pharaoh to join in such activities for he would undoubtedly win. Yugi was at his side, Mahaado avoided his eye, regretful but appropriate.

"They are fighting in teams?" Yugi asked, in his native tongue.

"Not usually, but we must prepare for the battles ahead," the Pharaoh answered.

The priests had indeed split themselves into predictable teams based on personalities. Akhenaden stuck to Seth, Isis had felt closer to Mahaado recently, which knowing Isis and her powers was not necessarily a good thing. Shaada and Kalim, the closest of friends had to split this time, Shaada following Seth's powerful charisma, as he often did. Though the priests acted partial, like the Pharaoh, they all had their favorites, and it always lead to weighted teams; Seth's would undoubtedly strive to overpower their opponent by force and Mahaado's team would use magic and traps. The Pharaoh explained all this in a hushed voice to Yugi, even if he could not grasp the strategy.

"I see," Yugi nodded after the explanation.

Though he had the greatest faith in Yugi, the Pharaoh doubted anyone could grasp the concept of a Ka battle so easily.

The audience of courtiers, the Pharaoh, Yugi, and the various officials fell silent as the stone tablets were brought forth. And then the priests, with the power of their Thousand Year Items selected and summoned their monster to the arena.

To amuse the boy, the Pharaoh turned to Yugi, "Which of the teams do you think will win?"

"Seth," Yugi answered and it was a serious conclusion. He did not even look back at the King for recognition. "Knowing him…"

The Pharaoh kept his doubts to himself. How could Yugi know of Seth's character?

Yes, the battle was as the Pharaoh predicted, or as Yugi predicted. Seth overpowered the traps on his side by sheer force of his own Ka, taking his partners energies in an irrational turn. A stupid unrealistic move, one that would never be truly used in battle. Who would ever purposely cripple one's on allies?

Seth grinned, posing for his victory. "Mahaado, what kind of spirit alley was that? If I had been so inclined I could have destroyed your Ka monster. If you risk your own life in a practice how do you expect to protect the Pharaoh's tombs?"

That, however, was going too far, even for Seth's normal rude behavior. "Enough, Seth," the Pharaoh spoke.

Suppressed whispers filtered from the audience as the priests grew uncomfortable. Only Yugi's mask tilted to him, as though impressed. But what did the boy know? The Pharaoh should not have spoken, for now Seth was humiliated in front of everyone. As was Mahaado, having to be protected by his King.

Seth scowled. "The Pharaoh knows only too well, I am sure, that war is not about the number of soldiers or the number of words. The defeat of the enemy is all that matters, is that not correct, my Pharaoh?"

The priests stirred again. He had gone too far, but that was Seth's personality. It did not bother the Pharaoh personally but publicly, Seth's rebuttal to the Pharaoh's words had been in very bad taste.

"Priest Seth!" Akhenaden cried. "You forget yourself again!" There was tension in the air.

Indeed, the Pharaoh should not have spoken at all, now there would be trouble. Seth would have to be punished, whether he deserved it or not. The Pharaoh hated punishing his own priests. Seth was opinionated, yes, but should he really be punished for that? No more so than Mahaado for tomb robbing, that was not really his fault.

But there were also times when the Pharaoh had to make a statement. For his position as God on earth. Everyone knew a punishment was coming. The Pharaoh opened his mouth ready to give it when…

"A strategy that relies on strength often reveals unforeseen weaknesses."

No. That had not—but it had. For Yugi was suddenly standing, _again_, Bastet mask and all. His voice was… deeper, stronger…

The Pharaoh was just as surprised as everyone in the room. Mahaado actually searched for the Pharaoh's gaze, urgent to convey his concern. But it was already too late.

"Is that so?" Seth responded, apparently amused for his mouth tightened into a smirk. "Then tell me, _harem_, what is power? It may be presumptuous of me but what do you know of Ka battles? Does the Pharaoh teach all his harem the secrets of the priests? Perhaps you could give me personal instruction as well?"

And the council members around the room chuckled uncomfortably although none of the priests shared in Seth's amusement. They all had grave expressions. Yugi was not supposed to be standing, or speaking, or drawing attention to himself at all…

The Pharaoh grabbed the boy's hand. "Yugi, _sit_ down," he hissed. The whole council was watching, if Yugi revealed something, anything that made him seem suspicious…

But Yugi jerked his hand out of the Pharaoh's grip. And in a voice too clear and too confident, he announced in flawless rolling Egyptian, "I will teach you, Priest Seth."

The council members erupted in scandalous tones. Several of the priests looked outraged. Mahaado was as tense as stone, jaw tight.

Isis, however… her face was impassive.

The Pharaoh grabbed Yugi's shoulder, forced him to turn around. "You have _no idea_ what you are doing. _Yugi_, sit down-"

"No," the boy within the mask answered and moved away from the Pharaoh. "I know how to duel, Pharaoh. I _know_ how to defeat him."

"Seth's strategy is practically flawless," the Pharaoh argued. He could not believe that he was even being defied, yet _again_, in public, by Yugi! Had he not warned Yugi about public displays?

The Bastet mask leaned close. "You know his weakness as well as I do. But if you are too hesitant to exploit them, _Pharaoh_, how will your priest learn?"

And when the boy twisted away and ran down to the Ka arena, the Pharaoh had only one conclusion: the person inside that mask was not Yugi. That voice had not been… could not have been…

"Pharaoh!" Shaada exclaimed, eyes bulging. "This is blasphemy!" Akhenaden and Kalim both nodded in agreement.

But the figure in the Bastet mask took no notice of the guards and the priests. He stood in the proper position, one hand stretched out to touch the standing stone tablet behind him.

Seth was furious, but his personality would not back let down from a challenge. And Yugi… what was he thinking? He was risking everything!

And yet… Yugi was suddenly so fearless. Perhaps… this was his secret.

So the Pharaoh found himself standing. "Let the battle continue, if both parties are capable." Outcries echoed around the walls of the room. Then the Pharaoh said the most powerful statement in his repertoire, "This is the will of the Pharaoh!" he cried above the noise.

The audience twitched into silence. The priests, aside from Isis and Mahaado, shook with righteous anger. And they had the right, this was against everything they stood for, their culture, their country…

The Pharaoh prayed Yugi would not let him down.

"Impossible," Seth spat, "You do not even have the capability of summoning anything!" He was gleefully disbelieving.

Yugi said nothing, he had not moved his hand from the stone.

Seth shook off his last doubts. "Very well, I will defeat you in proper fashion then. Far be it from me to stop the Pharaoh from putting one of his harem up for the slaughter."

And then light exploded from under Yugi's robes. The Pharaoh fought the nausea in his stomach, the fear of the other Puzzle being discovered because then a light shot into the arena and jumped onto Yugi's tablet. Where he had learned to summon Ka…? The Pharaoh could not have guessed.

The priests were shocked. Seth was stunned until he saw the monster, then he laughed. "That is your _threat_? This meaningless _creature_!"

Yugi turned back around, facing Seth this time. Though he still said nothing.

The chosen monster was small, it looked as threatening as a mouse, however, the Pharaoh knew it contained several special properties. Could Yugi be planning to… but _how_ did he know…?

Seth was mad. "I will destroy your tablet before you can even properly summon that rodent!" And he did, summoning his personal Ka spirit—

"No! Seth, don't!" the Pharaoh cried. No, if Yugi wasn't Yugi, if he wasn't innocent and wasn't incapable of hurting anyone, then Seth would most certainly…

But Seth blindly plunged forward. His personal Ka spirit, his soul in monster form, Duos, was summoned. And in that second, Duos attacked Yugi's tablet and the picture of the fluffy creature there.

The tablet shattered. And Seth laughed.

But Yugi did not flinch. "Do you think you won?"

The council members and the surrounding priests froze as out of the thousands of stone pieces from that tablet, jumped thousands and thousands of tiny fluffy creatures.

The confident color drained from Seth's face as the creatures surrounded Duos.

"See, Priest Seth?" the person inside the Bastet mask scolded. _Very_ unlike Yugi… "Power is quite relative."

This had to stop. Since Duos was the victim… "Yugi!" the Pharaoh cried and jumped from the throne's platform. But the fuzzy creatures had already pounced upon Duos the Swordsman, and thus Seth fell backwards in pain. The Pharaoh had to think quickly. "_Mahaado_!" he demanded, and he did not even turn to see if Mahaado had acted, the King was too fixated on Yugi.

Yugi was still, focused on his army of fuzzy creatures as they devoured Duos. The Pharaoh grabbed Yugi's shoulder and jerked him around. "Yugi, you must stop this! Release your creatures! You will _kill_ Seth!"

There was a huge intake of breath inside the mask. "W-what?" _That_ was Yugi.

A pop and a crash of air. Mahaado had moved fast enough, his soul-monster, the Magus of Illusion, had protected Duos from the worst of the attack, but there were still many hundreds of fuzzy creatures left.

"_Release_ _them_!" the Pharaoh screamed at the Bastet mask.

The fluffy creatures disappeared with flinch of Yugi's body.

The Pharaoh released his breath. But not for long.

Outrage from the nobles grew like a wave and consumed the whole hall. The Pharaoh could not deal with them at that moment, so he grabbed Yugi bodily and dragged him from the hall. Behind him, the council members shrieked the names of several gods, the priests ran to their injured fellow. But Seth, who had been saved all but most of the pain, apparently found the strength to stand and accuse, "_That_ is _no_ harem girl!"

When they had escape into a private room once again, Yugi ripped off his own mask. His round face was flushed and yet unhealthily pale with fear. "Wh-what— did I do? I d-didn't mean to— _Why_ was Seth in danger?"

"Duos is Seth's personal Ka," the Pharaoh answered, hands securing Yugi's shoulders.

It was clear from Yugi's expression that he did not understand.

"Do you _not_ know what Ka _is_?" the King demanded, and he regretted the fire in his voice. "It is a part of the soul, Yugi! You almost destroyed Kaiba's soul!"

Yugi's mouth went slack, in fact his legs practically collapsed. Truly, he didn't know. "I— _Ka_? But—but you—you take Ka from criminals all the time! _You_ fight with Ka!"

"Yes," the Pharaoh was the only thing holding Yugi up, "With monsters from criminals, _usually_. Seth was being over confident—"

"You take criminals' _souls_?" Yugi cried. And he was honestly, innocently horrified.

The Pharaoh was taken aback. What did Yugi care about sinners? "We cleanse them—"

Yugi's body was quivering now, and he looked very sick. "You take their _souls_?" He was going to collapse right there. "I used someone's soul… I _killed_… a soul?"

And Yugi ripped himself from the Pharaoh's hold, dropped to the ground, and threw up, clutching at the Puzzle under his clothes.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"What are you doing here?"

The whole table shook when Malik jumped. He even upset his drink, which he undoubtedly stole from a brainwashed victim of his Rod. Malik squinted up at his colleague in crime. "You look ridiculous, Bakura," he spat.

The spirit of the Ring frowned out of the hood of his disguise, a rotting scrap of linen that barely hid his paler than normal skin. "I am concealed, unlike you." The Ring spirit reluctantly joined Malik and his disguise crunched as he sat. "You have not been back in three days, fool. What have you been doing?"

Malik frowned into his drink, stubbornly silent. The ancient spirit did not have time to guess what was on his mind.

"Or perhaps it's not _you_ who has been keeping you away…?"

"_No_!" Malik flinched. "It's _not_—_he's_ not—" Malik's throat tensed and he swallowed another mouthful of his drink. "Why am I here, Bakura? In Egypt, I mean. You and Yugi have this great cosmic battle, but I don't. I don't get what I'm supposed to do."

The spirit understood. Truly, Malik's presence served no real purpose. So what power had carried him into a battle that crossed time? It had to be more than just the Sennen Rod, because Ishizu and Pegasus weren't here…

Malik growled. "Why are you looking for me anyway? I'm sure, you and your past-self can handle whatever happens."

Bakura scoffed, he had no time for Malik's constant soul-searching. In all reality, the spirit only wanted Malik back so that his host would not have to be left alone in the shack with the Thief, his past self. The spirit of the Ring knew that Yadonushi was loyal to him, severely so, but his past self was getting more and more interested in the pale boy that lived in his house. "Yadonushi thinks about you."

Malik laughed harshly. "Now, now, we both know Ryou only thinks about _you_, dear."

Irritated, Bakura barked back, "And we both know you're only sulking because the Thief spurns you."

Malik dropped his mug again, his copper tone flushed. "I am _not_ here because of _him_!"

"And you only like him because you refuse to give up your infatuation with me," the spirit continued.

Malik gaped, and his embarrassment morphed into anger. "You—_you_—" He grabbed the spirit's shoulder. "You know _nothing_ about—"

There was a shout from outside the inn's pub. A line of the Pharaoh's soldiers raced down in between buildings, terrifying citizens of the city. There was a commotion down the street.

Malik's fickle attention span was drawn to the movement. "What's that?"

The spirit calculated the order of events in his head. This should be about the time when _that_ priest was moving with his traitorous plans. "Preparations for a Ka hunt."

Malik raised his brow. "Should we be worried?"

"It's a plot that does not concern us." For the moment, anyway.

"Is your…" Malik was not looking at the soldiers anymore. He had apparently gotten a better look at Ryou Bakura's face. "Did you get _sunburned_, Bakura?"

The spirit twisted out of Malik's grip and shrugged the linen forward, further concealing his face. "Yadonushi was careless." That day when Yadonushi had gone to bathe in the river he had stayed out in the sun too long, but that wasn't so much his fault as the Thief's.

Malik's face tightened and then broke into a grin. "You're all _pink_, Bakura!" and he was giggling now. "No wonder. I supposed Ryou-kun has such _delicate_ skin."

"_Malik_." This conversation really was getting side tracked. "How much have you drunk today?"

Malik finally seemed to understand that he was annoying and closed his mouth, for once. "Seriously though," he continued without answering the spirit's question. His face had lost of all its amusement as well as its life. "I'm no help to you at all, Bakura. I screwed up the whole thing at the beginning… But—godfuck—can you really blame me?"

"Yes," the spirit said, without thought.

Malik took no notice. "You were so—so—hot! You—_he,_ now, is _hot_!" The fool groaned and smacked his fist on the table a couple of times. "I mean, I would have totally done him that night if I could have!"

"I know," the spirit growled, not that Malik was paying attention to him anymore.

"I mean, sex radiates off that guy like a—like he's a fucking sun or something! _God_!" And there was an awkward pause where Malik's eyes clouded over with hazy fantasies. "You're just not like that anymore."

"Good," the spirit of the Ring agreed. He had lost interest in Malik's inclinations. He did not care about Malik's sexual drive, or his past self's perspicuous encounters; the spirit's memories of Egypt were stuffed with numerous events like these, each one as useless as the next.

Malik frowned at him again. "There's nothing attractive about callousness, Bakura."

"If that was my priority I'd care," the spirit dismissed. "We had a deal, Malik."

Malik sighed, lilac eyes rolling. "This again."

"You are supposed distract him, keep him away from Yadounushi."

Malik pouted, like a child. "He can _marry_ Ryou for all I care."

The spirit grabbed the front of Malik's shirt and jerked Malik violently out of his seat. "That is exactly the kind of prospect I am hoping to avoid."

Malik was fearlessly unconcerned. "But see I've been thinking about that. If I start doing stuff with your past-self, aren't I just doing stuff with you, essentially?"

"No," the spirit answered, losing his patience.

"But you have his memories, that's how you know what's going to happen, right? So you have all the memories of what him and I did together, _will_ do together? And if you have those memories than that's almost like being there, isn't it?"

The spirit refused to answer. He would not get dragged into Malik's paranoid theories.

But Malik took the silence as an affirmation of his delusions, and he grinned sloppily as he continued, "You don't have to go such lengths, you know. So what if you're in the body of a scrawny white-assed teenager. Your true hotness can still shine through."

Three, four drinks, the spirit reasoned. The fool wasn't actually that drunk, but tipsy was enough to make Malik insane.

And Malik grabbed the knee of Ryou Bakura with one hand and with the other reached for Ryou Bakura's face. "Why can't you feel anymore, Bakura-kun? What made you so… soulless?"

Soulless? That term was incorrect. The spirit was nothing but soul. It was his body that had been reduced to a golden pendent… and yet… But he tried to keep these abstract thoughts out of his mind. They hardly effected this current situation.

But that moment of hesitation was enough for Malik to close in on that rotting hood and work his tongue in between Ryou Bakura's teeth.

Now their conversation was sidetracked.

And the spirit thought it was time to get back to business, so he took Malik's neck in one hand and shoved his head backward. He tried not to think about how he would get the taste of Malik's tongue out of his memory, _again_. It was bad enough that Malik and his past self had… _would_… But he tried not to recall those memories either.

"Not to say I'm surprised, _slut_."

The spirit was certainly not surprised to hear that voice.

Malik was. He flinched so badly that he almost escaped from the spirit's choke hold.

The Thief, the nameless Thief, looked—but the spirit was biased, obviously he _knew_ exactly how the Thief was feeling because he could remember—betrayed, enraged, for reasons that were only vaguely acknowledged at that moment.

The Thief's glare shot at the spirit of the Ring, avoiding Malik's pained look. "You will come out for the whore but not me? Not even when your host is under severe distress from a predator?"

The spirit was reminded how much he hated his past self. They shouldn't even be talking in this paradox. "He was in no danger."

The Thief barred his teeth with grim humor. "Barely. Who knows if that predator will be able to hold back next time."

And there would be a next time… the spirit remembered that at least.

Meanwhile Malik had fought off the spirit's choking hold. He gasped as he lurched toward the Thief. "Bakura, I—"

"But isn't _he_ Bakura?" the Thief snarled, gesturing towards the Ring spirit. "What am I supposed to do now, _Future_ Personality?"

The spirit scowled, like the Thief needed to be told. "You should know. I've already done it." And as if on cue, the Sennen Ring's compass pointers jingled innocently under his disguise.

The Thief's eyes jumped down to the spirit's chest. Yes, he understood what his next move was.

"I don't love him!" Malik screamed, practically climbing over the table to get to the Thief. His face was particularly desperate. Thanks to the drinks. "How long have you been here? Did you hear all the nice things I said about you?"

The Thief's mouth twisted into a snarl. "Long enough to see your true motivations, whore." Then he shoved himself away from the table.

Malik jumped up too, all too enthusiastic to follow his infatuation. "Where are you going?"

"Away from your presence! And don't you even consider following me!" the Thief shouted, disturbing the pub even further. In a whip of his crimson coat, he stormed out of the building.

"Wait!" Malik cried but stumbled over his own chair, which allowed the criminal to escape. Pink-faced, Malik swung back to the spirit of the Ring. "You _knew_ he was there, didn't _you_? You let me kiss you so he would see… _you_…"

"I forgot." That was a lie. The spirit had known the Thief was listening to their entire conversation. But both Malik and the Thief needed the lesson.

"Ah, _bitch_," Malik swore, before securing his Sennen Rod on his belt and dashing after the Thief.

And so the spirit of the Ring was left alone at the table.

Well… not necessarily alone. The breathing body that encased him was always a reminder of that.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Yugi didn't leave the Pharaoh's quarters for several days. The two of them hadn't even spoken except in formalities, the King didn't even sleep in his own bed anymore, he wasn't quite sure where the King disappeared to at night. Mahaado delivered food to Yugi and the two of them would talk about unrelated things.

But the one who was hurt most by this experience wasn't Yugi, it was his other self.

They spent more and more time curled up on the fake bed in Yugi's soulroom. It was a comforting place. Often they spoke nothing, letting their thoughts mingle innocently with each other. Yugi would hold his darker personality's hands to his chest, where his heart would have been if everything in the soulroom was real.

/It was like…/ the spirit's eyes closed, leaning into Yugi's phantom body. /It was like back when we first met, when you solved the Puzzle and I would take over your body…/

'To fight the bad guys,' Yugi recalled. 'You saved me so many times.'

The spirit's brow furrowed in memory. /I killed people back then. I never want to do it again…/

Grief seeped into the soul room, turning the walls a sallow purple. 'It was an accident. Neither of us knew what those monsters really were.'

"_Yugi?"_

The soulroom's walls shuddered. Yugi sighed. He did not want to leave his other half now, he did not want to leave when this moment… the two of them were so close. He portrayed this to his darker personality through their link.

The spirit of Puzzle chuckled. /I feel the same, aibou./

The walls shuddered again. And Yugi drew himself up, out of his comforting soul room, and up into his conscious mind.

He opened his physical eyes to the Pharaoh. The King's face was… not grave as it had been these past few days. It was oddly pleasant as he asked. "Who were you talking to?"

Startled, Yugi fought for words. Sometimes, back home, when he would talk to his other half, he would accidentally speak out loud. Had he made that same mistake here? What had the Pharaoh heard?

"Ju-just thinking, out loud, you know," Yugi mumbled, turning his face slightly away.

The Pharaoh made a noise that was impossible to interrupt. Yugi really didn't know what to make of the King's mood. So he changed the subject. "Have the council members been giving you a hard time?"

The King of Egypt nodded. "Yes."

Yugi felt guilty and embarrassed all over again. "I'm sorry."

"I am the Pharaoh, Yugi," the King answered unconcerned. "I can handle my own council."

Yugi bit his lip. "What about… the other priests?"

The Pharaoh breathed, moving to sit on the bed next to Yugi. "They are… more defiant. Seth especially."

Yugi bowed his head.

"He is perfectly healthy," the Pharaoh assured his ward. "Mahaado protected him from most of the attack. His nature is as rebellious as before."

"I'm sorry," Yugi repeated, wrapping his arms around himself and his Puzzle.

There was a warm hand on his back, the Pharaoh was comforting him.

Yugi swallowed. "When one of those soul-monster things are defeated… what happens to it?"

The Pharaoh twisted his body to face Yugi better. "Yugi, it's true that the Ka-monsters we use to battle come from the souls of sinners, but it's a cleansing. To take the monster out of a sinner, takes out their darker Ka, their evil."

Yugi flinched in the King's hold. He had no idea how close his words were to the description of the spirit of the Puzzle.

"Monsters are made of a person's evil," the Pharaoh said seriously. "We can take the evil out of people, and put it use. To protect our country."

"But you said Seth would die if I defeated his Ka," Yugi inquired.

The Pharaoh draped his arm across Yugi's shoulders now. The comfort was appreciated, even though Yugi knew he shouldn't be letting the Pharaoh so close. "When we take the monster out of a sinner, we sever the evil soul from the body. The priests have all created monsters from their souls as well, but we do not sever the monster from their bodies. This way the monster can evolve and grow stronger with the priests' souls. This makes a priests' personal Ka much stronger than other Ka-monsters."

Yugi thought he understood. But if monsters were so evil, why didn't the priests want to cut off their evil parts? And if a monster was the embodiment of a person's evil, then didn't a monster's strength depend solely on the amount of evil in that person? Perhaps this would all become clearer later.

"You did no terrible wrong," the Pharaoh continued when Yugi had been silent for a while. "There is no reason for you to hide yourself."

Yugi shrugged. "Fighting with Seth brought back bad memories."

The Pharaoh's face lit up with interest. "I would like to know."

The way the King phrased his request, not making it a command, as he had done before, made Yugi want to tell the Pharaoh. "I have battled before with the Sennen Items, even when souls were on the line." Yugi grinned painfully. "People got hurt, my friends too. I try not to fight when lives are on the line."

The Pharaoh too was still, his one hand clasped Yugi's shoulder tightly, his nose breathed on Yugi's hair. Their scents mixed with the perfumed air. "I am sorry for you."

Yugi bit his lip, fighting the comfort surrounding him. "What about Mahaado?"

The Pharaoh recoiled, though he did not yet remove his hand, his body leaned away.

Yugi lifted his head and attempted to meet the King's gaze. "Bakura will go after him, it's the Ring he wants. You cannot let—"

"Obviously," the Pharaoh interrupted. "I will not let Mahaado out of the palace walls."

Yugi breathed, but for some reason was not reassured. There was a horrible ache in Yugi's gut that would not go away. A futile ache.

"Let's not think about it anymore," the Pharaoh announced loudly. And renewing his grip on Yugi, the Pharaoh tipped them both backwards onto the bed.

Yugi's poor stomach, which had already been through a lot, jumped and sunk all at the same time. And with that single motion he found himself lying in the Pharaoh's bed again, in the Pharaoh's arms…

He choked. "W-what are you doing?"

"Shhh," the Pharaoh hushed. "Your mind is troubled, and I'm comforting you." And he snaked his arms around Yugi's thin form. An act that did not escape Yami no Yugi's attention. The Puzzle, as usual around Yugi's neck, burned with heat. But then the Pharaoh's arms were also warm… and comforting, despite Yugi's better judgment.

"But," Yugi protested. His face was pressed up against the King's chest, so he had no choice but to breathe in his royal scent. "You know that I—"

"Don't love me? I know that quite well," the Pharaoh answered, one hand sliding up Yugi's neck into his hair. Yugi shivered from the unusual touch. No one had ever, ever held Yugi like this before… "But since your lover is not here," which was untrue but Yugi kept his mouth shut. "Perhaps some human warmth will ease your mind. Allow you to sleep."

Yugi hesitated. He could feel the angry pulse from his Puzzle, as well as the beat of the Pharaoh's heart. What was he to do?

'We're not doing anything… exactly…' Yugi reasoned.

The Puzzle was silent, its anger lessened somewhat, but did not entirely disappear. Yugi took this as an ok sign.

"One night," Yugi murmured, his voice barely audible even to himself. But the Pharaoh heard and he celebrated by pulling Yugi closer. "But don't try anything funny."

"That was would be inconsiderate," the Pharaoh answered and he buried his face in Yugi's mess of hair.

Yugi tried not to let himself enjoy the Pharaoh's body… too much. But he couldn't deny that he slept well that night.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"Wait! Wait, bastard!" Malik caught up to a furious past-Bakura not too far from the pub, in a dark alley, to be exact. Not the worse place for a confrontation, though if he had a choice, Malik would have liked something a little cleaner.

He grabbed the Thief's arm, which resulted in him being spun around, smacked up against a clay wall with a dragger at his throat again.

"Do not tempt me, harlot," past-Bakura spat. Oh, but his body was not too far away, his mouth was so close that his hot breath smote Malik's jaw.

"I don't love him," Malik said, in his urgency he leaned forward, his neck up against the blade of past-Bakura's knife. "Believe me, I don't like him at all. Did you hear what I said? That you're really hot? That sex radiates off of you? Didn't you hear me say that?"

A scoff, _god_, Malik could smell him. "I heard you say that he _was_ hot."

"I was talking about _you_!" Malik cried, twisting his head to try to look into past-Bakura's face, but when he turned his head the dragger cut into his neck. He ignored the warm liquid that dribbled down to his collar for the moment. It couldn't be too bad. "_He's_ a fucking bastard! I like _y_—"

Past-Bakura smacked him on the side of the head. And, yes, it did hurt, a lot, but he had taken the dragger away from Malik's throat before he had struck him. Now Thief-Bakura spun around in a fury of his crimson coat and made to walk away again.

"You're mad at me," Malik claimed, following at a jog because the Thief's legs were so long… "You're mad at me cause I kissed him."

Past-Bakura stopped in mid stride and Malik bumped into him. "I'm not mad."

Malik grinned. "Yeah, you are."

Past-Bakura twisted around again to shout in Malik's face, "I am _not_—"

"Jealous?" Malik interrupted, grabbing a handful of the Thief's coat so he didn't run away. He thought this was a nice touch, aggressive but not desperate.

Past-Bakura's jaw fixed when he said, "You've had physical dealings with that—me, in the future, before?"

Malik tried to bring himself close, making it harder for past-Bakura to turn away again. "It was a long time ago. And he was so fucking stiff about everything. Not fun. Not like I thought he would be."

"So you think you'll have a second shot with the new version of him?" past-Bakura growled.

Malik would not give up. Not when he had past-Bakura so close. "That kiss was joke. I knew he wouldn't enjoy it. I was _teasing_ him. He can't very well kiss Ryou, can he?"

And that's when the Thief actually started paying attention. "_What_?"

Malik wondered if he had said too much… well, too late now. "Bakura and Ryou, they're… you know, like totally in love."

Past-Bakura wasn't getting it. How cute. "They're in the same body."

"_Yeah_. That's why he's so fucking moody all the time, and why Ryou's always so physically uninterested in everyone. It's kinda cute actually, how deluded those two are…"

But Malik didn't want to talk about Bakura and Ryou's fixation with each other. He would much rather talk about the fiery man standing before him now. So Malik grabbed the Thief's crimson robe with both hands now, securing his position. "So how about it, King of Thieves? Sick of trying to stay away from me?"

Past-Bakura was focused on Malik again, which was a good sign. "Like you can even handle it." And the Thief brushed away Malik with one powerful arm and turned to leave…

Hell no! He was not that easy! It helped that Malik's head was still buzzing from the pub's drink. He had to take advantage of his own intoxication, as it were. So he jumped, grabbed Past-Bakura's face and invaded that fucking Thief's mouth with his tongue.

It was nice… Then the blood rush in Malik's ears and he was swept off his feet by an insistent arm that shoved him up against past-Bakura's body. Which was absolutely ok by Malik! He embraced the Thief's change of attitude by wrapping his legs around the Thief's middle, which was a whole new level of interesting…

In a break of bruised lips, Malik gasped, "Yum…" and grinned. Past-Bakura shut him up quick enough, by biting those lips. God, that guy was hot! His utterly passionate body squeezed against him, his broad hands in Malik's hair, then hands groping down to the future-kid's ass. The fluid rocking of his hold… Malik couldn't believe his luck!

Honestly, he couldn't.

Because sure enough, there was that gnawing nausea that bubbled up in Malik's gut. That unearthly pressure inside his brain.

'Fuuuuuuck,' Malik cursed, as Past-Bakura's mouth sucked Malik's neck, hard. Couldn't he be left alone, just once? Just once could he do what, and who, he wanted!

Nausea… and no amount of sucking of Past-Bakura's tongue was going to defeat it. The pressure in Malik's brain was only getting worse. His brain splitting apart, his hands were shaking too bad to hold onto the Thief, he was so dizzy…

_Mine… Mine… You're mine…_

Yeah. _He_ was pissed, _really_ pissed this time. Malik had never felt _him_ so mad before, so jealous…

_You're mine!_

Malik was mad too. But he had to stop this, his brain hurt too much. "I—ah—" Malik was trying to breathe through the pain. "Hurts… a lot." Past-Bakura might have grumbled something, might have shouted something but Malik didn't catch it. The pain… oh fuck…

Malik's legs gave out, and the nausea in his stomach lurched as he dropped to the ground. The impact of his butt hitting the dirt, echoed throughout Malik's system and the nausea jumped from his stomach up to his mouth… and retched out onto the ground.

Past-Bakura was beyond pissed. "Again? Didn't know I repulsed you so much."

Malik panted. He would have jumped back up and tried again… only he didn't think the Thief would appreciate being kissed with vomit breath.

'Life sucks…' Malik groaned silently.

_Mine…_

'Fuck. _You_.'

"If you touch me again, I'll kill you." And then Past-Bakura stormed away, leaving Malik with a puddle of his own spewed chunks.

Malik was too tired to cry, though he felt like it.

"Get up."

Malik spat most of the vomit taste out of his mouth. "I don't need your pity."

Spirit-Bakura didn't help him up, didn't look at him sympathetically, like Ryou would have. In fact Malik wasn't sure why the spirit of the Ring was still around, didn't he usually leave comforting shit to Ryou? He never wanted to get involved before, not even when they were having 'physical relations'.

But he waited, as Malik got himself to his feet, knees weak. He even granted Malik with his attention.

Malik shrugged. "I had to try."

Spirit-Bakura said nothing.

Malik grinned as best he could. "So… home?"

"The shack," spirit-Bakura corrected coolly, replacing the linen hood over his white head.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Anyone catch that lord of the rings reference? I'll give you a clue, its about a Ring.

Seriously I'm sorry I've become what I've so long hated, that awful author who never updates. But I do update, I have the story written I've just been a bit distraction being in another country other than my own. Seriously that's what it is.

Anywho, thanks for all the support and new readers, who I keep generating despite my best efforts. :9

**REVIEW** (tell me my updating times sucks. I dare you!) **REVIEW PLEASE!**

((the reference is when Yugi says, "It's the Ring he wants." (said by Sam I believe in the second movie.) Hahaha, I'm so geeky and useless I could sob))


	7. A Wizard's Battle

WARNING: the below message contains SPOILERS.

Here's what you should learn from the movie **Splice**: don't make part-human genetically altered creatures, don't have sex with that creature, don't make a baby with that creature. In general: don't make poor decisions.

And now none of you have any need to see that very uncomfortable movie. Your welcome.

Now onto the show.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Chyaputa 7: A Wizard's Battle

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

"I am to do what, my Pharaoh?" Mahaado asked. There must be some mistake.

But the king's expression did not show any sign of jest. "You are to attend to the instillation of the new walls in the receiving room."

Mahaado breathed, controlled himself, or attempted to. "My Pharaoh, if I am to observe the construction, how will I be able to guide the former Pharaoh back to his resting place in the City of the Dead?"

The Pharaoh did not acknowledge this. "Your skills are needed here, Mahaado. We require your eye for architecture and your knowledge of the histories to be able to preserve the old Pharaohs' palace."

The other priests knew something was wrong. Both Kalim and Shaada exchanged glances, Akhenaden frowned, and Isis… Isis' expression remained the same. Nothing surprised her anymore. Even Seth, though he smirked without shame and his fellow priest's demotion. The fact that Mahaado had saved his life only a few days earlier only fueled his grudges against the Ring-bearer. Seth had always disliked him for being so far in the Pharaoh's confidante.

"With all respect, my Pharaoh," Mahaado could not remain silent, "My primary duty as head of the Tomb Guards is to accompany the former Pharaoh back to his tomb. I myself designed the traps within the tombs to ensure—"

"Did you not hear our mighty King's order?" Seth relentlessly commented. "You are to stay here, Mahaado, and watch stone carpenters. Perhaps this will give you time to reflect upon your recent performance? The next time a Pharaoh's tomb is robbed you will be stripped of your priesthood."

"That is for the Pharaoh to decide, _Seth_," the ever attentive Akhenaden scolded.

The Pharaoh did not even attempt to silence Seth. During the entire discussion, his attention had never focused on Mahaado, trying to minimize the importance of their conversation. And as the meeting turned to other matters, supplies, pay for the soldiers, a new shipment of oil and honey for medicinal purposes, Mahaado did not move from his spot before the throne. His knees ached from their long contact on the stone floor.

Was this change of duties further punishment for his mistakes? Was he not fulfilling even his normal obligations sufficiently? No. The Pharaoh are too kind, despite his reputation. The way the Pharaoh avoided his gaze… Mahaado suspected something else was sending things amiss.

He stood, just as Kalim was reciting the numbers of stock in the royal treasury, and left the Throne Hall without permission. His presence would not be missed. Mahaado charged down the stone corroders past servants. He found himself at the Pharaoh's bed chambers and swept the curtain aside.

"Mahaado?" Yugi jumped up from the bed, surprised by the priest's sudden entrance. For once he wasn't at the Pharaoh's side.

Mahaado secured the cloth door and then closed in on Yugi. "What did you tell the Prince?"

Yugi blinked. "Who?"

Mahaado swallowed. He had used the Pharaoh's informal name. When had been children together… "The Pharaoh, what did you tell him?" Mahaado demanded. "Why am I to stay within the walls?"

Yugi understood now, and his head dropped. "I'm sure… the Pharaoh only wants to protect you."

"Protect me?" Mahaado repeated. Yes, his suspicions were true. Yugi had said something, done something… "To what am I being protected against?"

Yugi's lips trembled, but they would not part.

Mahaado knelt before Yugi. "Please. If there are forces that threaten me, I must know of them."

Yugi looked shocked. He took a step back, eyes wide. "Mahaado…"

"My only wish is to protect the Pharaoh with all my ability," Mahaado pleaded, dropping his head in penance.

Yugi hesitated, it was clear that a great conflict was going on in his mind. His eyes shifted and then squeezed shut, bracing himself against the words that were about to come out of his mouth. "In my time… Bakura holds…" His eyes if possible squeezed tighter, moisture collecting at the corners, "The Sennen Ring."

It was as bad as Mahaado suspected. This explained the Pharaoh's latest decision, Yugi's grave looks, the Ring's… disobedience, Isis' attention to him.

Mahaado rose to his feet. Yugi opened his shining eyes. "Please, we just don't want you to die."

Mahaado stepped away, seriously pondering this. "But if it has already happened in your time is it not inevitable?"

"No!" Yugi cried, then shook his head warily. "I don't know. I don't understand this whole future to past concept but… but if we do nothing—"

"You cannot stop fate," Mahaado said, and even he was surprised at the words he spoke. To do nothing was surely folly… but fate… could not be stopped. Right?

"Mahaado," Yugi pleaded before the priest could make his mistake. "I don't think Ka-monsters are evil."

This was sudden, off topic. Mahaado had to think before answering. "Why?"

Yugi's eyes were huge, full of importance. "Your monster, all the priests' monsters are still attached to you, yet they grow stronger. But if monsters were evil than the only way they could get stronger would be if the priest became more evil, right? But I don't think that's true."

Mahaado found himself speechless. This boy… his mind worked in impossible ways…

"I want to believe," Yugi breathed, "That you can grow stronger without being evil. That's why, monsters and Ka… Do you get it? They can't all be bad, right?"

What a strange conclusion. And yet… it gave the priest a sense of hope…

At that moment, Mahaado realized what he had to do. The answer was simple. The conclusion gave the priest such overwhelming relief. He leaned down, put a hand on Yugi's shoulder and said to the boy, "I think the Pharaoh needs you more than either of you know. I think your appearance might save his soul."

A mix of horror and awe filled Yugi's childish face as he too grasped the full impact of Mahaado's words. But before the boy could speak Mahaado turned and left the Pharaoh's bedchambers, curtain wiping in his wake.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The skin of the garlic bulb smeared oil on the Thief's fingertips as he ripped the individual cloves apart. He bit into the plant and his mouth filled with its overwhelming scent. Diaboundo was hungry as well, but for a different kind of white head… one with wide brown eyes and a half-circle of old scars on his otherwise flawless stomach…

But Diaboundo would be getting a different treat tonight. Not like the one with Malik in the alleyway. At least… the first part, before the slut got sick. That guy was fucked up, too complicated to deal with. The Thief had better things to focus on. Like defying that soul in the Thousand Year Ring, his future self.

He was supposed to go after the Ring then, was he? Now that he knew the plan he could easily change the future. He would not go after the Ring first. Instead, he would rob the former Pharaoh's tomb _again_, take that mummy out _again,_ and put it in the Pharaoh's bed, before slaughtering the King himself, and , of course, taking his Puzzle. Wouldn't _that_ be a big surprise for the omniscient Ring spirit?

The Thief glanced at the sky. All signs of the sun god Ra were gone. It was time.

He spat out the remains of the garlic and slipped from his hiding place behind a rock. Then Diaboundo, invisible to all non-magically adept people, pounced upon the Pharaoh's soldiers.

And left none alive.

Diaboundo had grown hungrier after recovering from his encounter with God. The Thief shared his Ka's sentiments.

Now the path into the tomb was clear, the Thief entered without a care. Diaboundo had his arms out, dislodging the traps from the walls as they made their way deeper and deeper into the tomb… The Thief saw torchlight, before he entered a large underground hall. There was a single walk way in the center of the room and on either side was a seemingly endless cavern that stretched downward into darkness.

And in the center of that treacherous single pathway was a priest with the Thousand Year Ring around his neck.

And so, even as the Thief King had attempted to evade the Ring, he had driven himself right to it.

Bastard.

The spirit of the Ring had, yet again, been proved correct.

"I've been waiting for you," the priest announced with all the pride and hypocrisy that came with priesthood, "Bakura."

There was no fighting it now… the Ring would be his. Diaboundo was already giddy, ecstatic with this new opportunity to feed. "Akhenamkhanen's body is not here, am I wrong?"

The Ring priest was young, handsome, and stuffed to the brim with Pharaoh-loyalty. "The former Pharaoh will be buried elsewhere. This tomb is yours, Thief. Even if you steal the Ring, you cannot leave this place. I hid some of my men in the hills, so that when you entered the tomb they would be able to block the entrance behind you."

Diaboundo's eagerness rushed through the Thief's system. Ill-placed ecstasy caused him to laugh. "Who do you think I am, _fool_? I am Bakura the King of Thieves! You think I can't escape from this simple place? After your poor performance in the palace last time, do you really think you can stop me from taking that Ring?"

"Yes," the priest answered. His voice was calm… and obviously deluded. Priests were all alike.

The Thousand Year Ring, as well as the priest's whole body, began to glow, ropes of magic collecting around his form. "I will tell you this, Bakura, even though you will not heed my warning." The priest's expression was humorously grave. "It is a terrible burden to carry a Thousand Year Item. Especially the Ring, it is not as tame as the others." The priest's glow was far brighter than the surrounding torches, an eerie purple sort of light. "It tests its potential user, his body, his heart, his soul. If you do not pass, it will set your being on fire. I have seen it done."

The Thief was not impressed. Did these mindless vassals actually believe that wielding a weapon of that power would come without consequences? Was that such a shock to them?

"The Ring will destroy you, Bakura!"

"Is that so?" The anticipation was too much. Diaboundo exploded from the Thief King's mortal body, expanding into the space of the tomb. The Ka's form had changed, grown, morphed, strengthened… the Thief did not complain. "It seems," the Thief observed, gazed up at his soul-monster, "That as my hatred grows, Diaboundo evolves."

The Ring priest's stance changed. As though he was suddenly no longer interested in the fact that Diaboundo could kill him in a second. "'The more of yourself you put into your Ka, the stronger it gets,'" he repeated and there was a ridiculous smile on his lips. "A very smart boy told me something like that today."

The priest was rambling nonsense.

"If this is the truth…"

The air in tomb cracked as a second ka-monster erupted into the room. Although it was the same monster the priest had used before during the fight at the palace, but it too seemed to have changed…

"My Magus of the Illusion has grown as well." The priest's eyes were filled with a resolve… "Since this is the case, I will put all the powers of the Sennen Ring, as well as all of my soul, into my Ka-monster. With this I will have the power to protect the Pharaoh!" the priest cried, indeed his Ring was shining too brightly. "Our battle will not end the same as last time, Bakura."

"Foolish priest." The Thief didn't understand what the priest was talking about. And he didn't give a damn either. It was only the insane rambles of a dead man.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The Pharaoh hadn't even thought to stop Mahaado from storming off during the middle of the meeting. He knew the priest was upset and the King was planning to leave the priest alone to cool off. Just like when they were kids…

Then Yugi came running into the hall. Thank the gods for that Bastet mask. The meeting was still going on though Ra the Sun was half-set already. Yugi rushed in, his many fluffy layers flying about him, scrambling to out run the guards that were pursuing him.

The Pharaoh jumped from his throne. "_Stop_! Let him enter!" he commanded. Yugi ran into his arms, the sound of his panting against the inside of the mask. The council members stirred unhappily; they had not seen Yugi since the incident at the Ka battle practice. The priests were equally as displeased, Seth especially.

"Yugi," the Pharaoh calmed, holding the boy against him. "Yugi, are you alright?" he hissed in Japanese. "What happened?"

"Ma—" Yugi gasped for breath, "Mahaado! He's—he's—he came to see me and I told him—I told him—!"

"What is this about Mahaado?" Seth, although he could not understand the language Yugi and the Pharaoh were speaking he had caught the name clear enough.

"Yugi…" the Pharaoh pleaded, ignoring Seth.

"I told him about Bakura, _my_ Bakura—"

"Bakura!" Though none could understand Japanese, everyone in the hall heard that name. The council members stood from their cushions, the priest grabbed their Thousand Year Items.

But Yugi grabbed the Pharaoh's golden ornaments. "He wanted to know—I couldn't _not_ tell him!" Yugi cried. And the Pharaoh realized that harsh breathes from inside the mask were sobs. "He said," and Yugi gulped, "'My only wish is to protect the Pharaoh with all my ability…'"

There was no time to waste. The Pharaoh, holding Yugi to his side, turned to the rest of the priests. "Find Mahaado! Find him _immediately_!"

The priests scattered. The councilors stood and demanded information. But the Pharaoh would not give it to them; instead he ordered a group of guards deliver them back to their homes until further notice. Then, Yugi's soft hand in his, the Pharaoh set off to search for his most valuable priest.

"I'm sorry," Yugi moaned. "I would have found you sooner, but I got lost, and the guards were after me and I couldn't find you…"

"It's alright, Yugi," the Pharaoh assured and squeezed the boy's hand. "We will find him."

The answer came from Kalim. He had rushed down to the palace guards and asked who had left palace. They had seen Mahaado leaving with the procession, a procession that did not carry the former Pharaoh's coffin at all but instead a large stone tablet. A fake procession, as Akhenaden found out from the sub-priest that he had put in charge of the burial. It had been the will of the Pharaoh, they said. Of course, the Pharaoh had given no such order…

When Yugi heard this, his tiny body shuddered, a horrified exhale of air escaping through the mouth of the cat mask. The Pharaoh's arm tightened over Yugi's shoulders.

It was a long ride to the Valley of the Kings. The search party would not get there until late and already the sun had set. The Pharaoh and Yugi did not speak a word to each other all that night, but stood, the boy's arms around the King of Egypt's waist, waiting.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Seth was not apart of the search party that had gone on the futile mission to retrieve the disobedient priest, Mahaado. He had stayed because the Pharaoh had stayed. Shaada and Kalim were more than capable of handling frantic soldiers.

Seth watched the Pharaoh. The King had not moved from his spot on the balcony. And ever the harem boy was in his arms, his breaths came in gasps as though he were already in tears. They didn't speak to each other now in their strange language. They were silent.

So many changes had come over the Pharaoh recently. This man who stood facing his city was brittle, about to break. He was not the King he should have been.

The search party returned at dawn.

The fool Mahaado was dead.

"Almost every man who went with the procession yesterday is dead," Seth reported to the Pharaoh later in the receiving hall. "They were all slaughtered by Bakura, but for a few that were ordered to stay hidden and block up the entrance to the tomb once Bakura had entered it. Mahaado," Seth watched for a reaction to the name but the Pharaoh did not even appear to be listening, "Waited for the Thief inside. The two are apparently both dead."

A shudder echoed around the hall. The council members were distraught. The priests looked diminished in spirit.

The Pharaoh looked squeezed.

The stone tablet was brought forward. It had left the castle blank and now contained the image of a man with metal plating over his body and a staff. A magician's staff. It was Mahaado's Ka-monster, certainly. Though some of its features were peculiar from the usual Magus of Illusion.

"Forgive me, my Pharaoh, but the result of the battle is obvious," Seth proclaimed to the room. "We know Mahaado is dead, that is apparent from his captured Ka monster. But we do not yet know of Bakura's condition. Whether he is dead or alive, whether he has the Thousand Year Ring." Seth addressed the other priests and council members. "We should open the tomb to search for his body. Only then we can be certain of Bakura's death."

"No," Kalim disagreed. "It is too soon. If we open the tomb and he is waiting inside we could let him escape."

"What if he is out already?" Akhenaden questioned.

The Pharaoh was numb to all arguments. His shoulders fallen forward as though under a terrible weight. What was this expression he had! This was not the Pharaoh Seth had known when he first entered the High Priest order. That Pharaoh had been bright, strong. And dominant.

His father's death had obviously crumbled The King of Egypt. And now Mahaado. Everyone knew he had been the Pharaoh's favorite. The Pharaoh went through so many playthings it was hard to see him care for anyone in particular. Certainly this harem boy would prove no different, in time.

However… the Pharaoh had disappeared for six days after the boy's arrival, from where Seth's investigators had yet to discover.

"What do you see Isis?" Shaada asked.

The priestess' face was always the same, even as she gazed up at Mahaado's Ka carved into a tablet. "I cannot see anything. I have not been able to for some time."

The Pharaoh moved. With his eyes low, he stepped off the royal platform onto the floor, dragging his harem toy with him. Everyone saw this but remained silent; the Pharaoh was not supposed to leave his throne for any reason. Seth burned as he watched the King's tragic walk across the floor, toward Mahaado's imprisoned soul-monster.

"So you could not foresee this tragedy?" Seth accused. "Aren't you supposed to read the future, isn't that what your Thousand Year Tauk is for?"

Isis was immobile in both expression and emotion. "I cannot see the fates of those who hold the Thousand Year Items, you know that Seth."

"So Bakura is either dead, or he holds the Thousand Year Ring?" Shaada concluded.

Isis closed her eyes and bowed her head in a silent nod.

The Pharaoh and his concubine had reached the center of the floor. Guards, purely stunned by being so near to Egypt's God on Earth, scattered away as though they might be burned. The Pharaoh did not see them. Seth thought he looked quite pathetic, crawling towards the Ka-tablet that held Mahaado's last legacy.

A King should not show his weakness. Though he might suffer, a King must always be strong to lead his people. This is what Seth had been taught.

"Great Pharaoh," Seth announced. He could not keep the irritation from his voice.

The Pharaoh was so close to the tablet now that he could touch the stone. His harem had dropped to his knees but never let go of the Pharaoh's hand. The harem _dared_ to reach out to the stone.

Seth's could barely contain his fury. If the Pharaoh was too weak to care for his people and his country, the priests had to step in. The Pharaoh was not going to take action. Someone had to take the responsibility. Someone had to hold onto reason while the Kingdom crumbled.

"If Bakura is alive," Seth continued, louder still. But his voice alone could not draw the King's attention. This he knew too well. "Eventually he will try to get back into the city. Let me send my troops to the guard the people from him, to search every hiding place for the heathen."

The Pharaoh was such a fool. Letting his attentions drift to petty desires, lust. When he had been a Crowned Prince, he had been so fierce that Seth, at the time, had tried to avoid his eyes. That of course had not worked. The Crowned Prince had been too eager to greet Seth, to talk to him, to pull him out of all the other new courtiers and show Seth all the wonders of his palace… How Seth had quaked with anxiety then. But now…

The harem boy's shoulder shook. "Gomen," he sobbed, in that barbaric foreign language. His voice echoed inside the bastet mask. "Gomen, Pharaoh, honto gomen. Boku no seide Mahaado ga shinjatta…"

Now this hollowed Pharaoh choked. Such a horrendous public display.

"Do as you wish." His emotions broke with his voice. He pulled the harem boy to his feet and sped to escape the hall and all his Kingly duties. To take refuge in his veiled pleasures. So were the rights of a Pharaoh. "I will take rest in my chambers," the Pharaoh announced, rapidly retreating, with his sex toy in tow.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"Dammit!" Malik cursed at the world as he woke up on that Egyptian morning next to rubbish pile. The rubbish pile was behind a nearby cloth-dyery, a building that was located in the inner city, barely a block from the palace walls. "_Fuck_ass!" Malik kicked a barrel next to him and bruising his toes. Why did he always wake up in the most fucking inconvenient places?

It was a sign. Today was going to suck.

Tackle one fantastic problem at a time. _First_, escape from the city. Disguise. Malik snatched up a discarded cloth and wrapped it around himself. He winced as the cloth was unclean and scratchy against his skin. But he had to cover up his modern clothing as he, once again, made his way back to the shack across the Nile. He knew the path quite well by now.

'Again? Really?' Malik cursed in silence. '_Really_?' He was pissed.

Thief-Bakura had already been gone for three days. _Three_ days! Surely he would get back to the shack today. And Malik wanted- _needed_ to be there when he got back. So Malik stormed out of the alley, anger fueling his pace. He'd risk the more populated roads; they were the fastest route.

Malik was making good time; he'd be out of the city by the afternoon. But this world had other plots. Up the road someone shouted, "The priests! The Lord Priests are here!"

"Shit!" Priests with Sennen Items? In the city? _Now_? Malik whipped around, ducking into the shadowy nook between two huts. Every peasant, like Malik, was searching for a hiding place. The street was in panic. And then a column of soldiers rounded the corner.

"That's all I need," Malik growled, from his secluded corner, "To get arrested and imprisoned _now_." And for exactly one second Malik wondered if either of the Bakuras would rescue him if he was captured 'No,' Malik told himself. 'They wouldn't bother.'

But he didn't have time for that depressing thought. More and more soldiers were filing into the square… and then two large thrones came into view, carried on the backs of several slaves. The two golden silk-wrapped chairs supported two expensively dressed officials. These must have been the priests.

The crowd of peasants shouted, cried, and cursed among themselves before a guard shouted, "Bow down before the lord Priests! Bow down!" The peasants of the city crumpled to their knees, hiding their faces. Malik watched as the priests' fancy chairs were lowered to the ground. Papyrus mats were laid out for the priests' pretty shoes to stand on.

Their faces came into view, and Malik had to bite the inside of his cheek to restrain his shock.

First, there was a bald-headed guy, stiff looking, the Sennen Key clenched in his fist.

Second, there was the Egyptian Sennen Rod-bearer.

"Fuck..." Malik cursed.

That Rod-bearer looked exactly like Kaiba.

Malik was reminded of how the Sennen Rod had come to Kaiba's aid during his duel with Malik's sister, Ishizu on Battle Ship. The fickle Item, Malik cursed under his breath. For now the modern-day Sennen Rod was obedient, hanging innocently from Malik's belt.

"People of the Pharaoh's mighty city!" the priest with the Rod spoke, arrogant, like his modern ass-self. "Be at ease! I come to bring you protection from a most dangerous sinner, the thief, Bakura!" The crowd shuddered. Malik snickered. "All that we ask is that you, the Pharaoh's people, comply and give these soldiers safe passage. This is the will of the Pharaoh!"

Then the Kaiba-Priest turned to his soldiers and said. "Do not limit yourselves to criminals. Bring to me all those that oppose you and anyone you judge to be suspicious!"

With a flick of his wrist, the priest with the Rod sent his soldiers out onto the city. Chaos erupted again, as the soldiers stormed into houses, knocked over goods, and trampled street stalls. The crowd jumped to their feet, rushed to their belongings.

Malik did not move. He wanted to know more about this Kaiba-priest. From under his cloth disguise Malik directed his Rod's power at the slave currently fanning the two priests. And he took the slave's memory of hearing so he could listen in to their conversation.

The Key-priest was displeased. And through his new helper, Malik heard the Key-priest turn to the Kaiba-priest and say, "May I remind you, Priest Seth, to use the Pharaoh's name without his direct order is heresy."

The Kaiba-priest remained smug. "As I recall, we did indeed get permission."

"Priest Seth, if the Pharaoh knew this—_this_—_Ka hunting_ was your true intent he would have never permitted you to take more soldiers into the city! We cannot use our Items on the souls of the innocent!"

Seth remained composed. "Shaada, can you truly believe these people are innocent? A mere commoner has gotten his hands on one of our holy Thousand Year Items. One rebel has shaken this Kingdom to its very foundations. These are the kind of people who could turn into the next Bakura! We must protect this Kingdom and the Pharaoh at any cost!"

The Key-priest, of course, could not stand up to Seth's confidence. There were few that could in the modern world. Malik scoffed, 'Clever, Kaiba. You're tactics are as scary as always.'

Seth, the Priest, turned. And Malik swore, but only for a second, that his blue eyes had flashed into his secluded nook, directly onto Malik. But the Priest continued his turn to give orders to another guard.

Malik breathed. That had been too close. He needed to get away. _Now_. Luckily the priests and the bulk of guards were moving down the road, so Malik strengthened his hold on his mind-slave so he could keep an eye on the priests as he snuck off down a side street.

Through the fanning-slave, Malik heard many commoners get dragged off the streets and taken as prisoners to the palace, but nothing terribly interesting. Malik was about to release his mind-slave when he heard a guard rush up to the priests.

"Lord Priests! We found some suspicious people!"

"Bring them here," Seth, as he was supposedly known in his time, ordered.

"My Lord, I really think you should see," the commander insisted. "They look like foreigners."

'Foreigners?' Malik caught from the fan-boy's memory. What did that mean? Had Ryou wondered into the city? Had Yugi been found? But Yugi was in the palace with the Pharaoh, wasn't he? What _other_ foreigners could they have found?

The priests followed the guard. And Malik ducked down behind a basket, settling his own body so that he could concentrate on his connection with his mind-slave. He took over the fan-boy's sight this time with his Rod, as well as his hearing.

The priests were moving towards a large knot of commoners, where shouts of, "Get out of here!" and "You brought this misfortune upon us!" could be heard from a circle of peasants crowding around two pale-skinned people.

As the priests approached the crowd dispersed and the two pale-skinned figures were revealed. A woman, who's hair was as white as Ryou's, and a guy with yellow hair who, it seemed, was trying to fight the entire crowd signal-handedly to protect the woman…

"Shit," Malik cursed, gripping his mind-slave with unnecessary mental force.

"What did you do to these people?" Priest Seth addressed the crowd of peasants. The crowd hushed and backed away, frightened and humbled.

The white-haired woman looked hurt, weak. The yellow-haired guy seemed to be confused as to why no one was attacking him anymore. Until the yellow-haired male turned and he saw Priest Seth.

And his loud mouth dropped opened.

"_Kaiba_?" yellow-haired teenager exclaimed, in a strong Japanese accent.

"Fuck," Malik cursed again, peering much more attentively through his mind-slave's senses. This situation just got a whole lot more complicated

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Gomen, Pharaoh, honto gomen. Boku no seide Mahaado ga shinjatta: MEANS—"I'm sorry, Pharaoh. I'm so sorry. It's my fault Mahaado's dead." (or at least I sure hope so)

MAHAADO! Oh I can't believe you're dead! Oh but I'm sure NONE of you saw that coming. Still it makes me sad. Also the fact that Bakura wasn't in this chapter makes me sad.

Diaboundo is such a little whore.

Oh no! Who could that be, that foreign blonde-haired, loud-mouthed, person… I have no idea!

Sorry for lateness! As always. D: Thanks be to Psychotic Tendencies being on top of everything. Love you!

**DON'T BE BLUE! REVIEW! YOU OLD SHOE!**

P.S. Dark Genesis is a terrible name for a chapter. Just btws. Avoid at all costs.


	8. Tears in the Nile

Ooooo what? What's that? I'm on time? No? I'm _early_. Sweet. Also this chapter is looooooooooog.

This is a treat for all you people who despise the dreary waste and monotony of summer holidays as much as I do. Not that there is many of you out there, probably.

This chapter title doesn't really fit, though the more I think about it… it does? It fits, ok, in the time I took to write this comment I have become ok with this chapter title.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 8: Tears in the Nile**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Ryou got an idea. An idea that came to him while he was sitting alone in the shack, thoroughly bored. An idea that he had to admit to himself was completely illogical. But he might as well try. He was restless with no one around. Malik had disappeared in the night again and had not returned at all that day. And he had not heard from the Spirit of the Ring in several days, since Dorobo and therefore the snake, was not around…

Ryou pulled on his sandy sneakers and strolled outside of the shack. The dying sun was pretty; Ryou did not have the skill to describe it. At least the orange light would not further his already burned-pink skin. Ryou broke into a run and dashed through the long shadows of the few spindly trees, down to the river bed. He didn't know why he was so frantic to reach the river, he supposed he had been trapped in that shack for so long that running felt exhilarating.

The river sparkled. Ryou had to stumble to a stop, slashing water up to his knees.

And there, not five feet away, was Dorobo, half submersed in the water and encrusted with river silt in a shallow eddy. His white hair swirled about his head. He looked unconscious.

Ryou grabbed Dorobo's arms and dragged him onto the sand. He was _heavy_, with his wet clothes and his large… body. Ryou flipped the thief over onto his back. And that's when he first spotted it. The Sennen Ring of the past, gold gleaming in the sunset. It looked… clean compared to the rest of Dorobo, its central eye glowing at Ryou…

There was mud on Dorobo's face. Ryou kneeled down to clean him up, pale fingertips wiping off the wet sand from Dorobo's cheek, his lip…

The thief's eyes snapped open. Ryou flinched but the thief seized the boy's upper body and shoved him backwards onto the sand. Then he rolled over on top of Ryou, the wetness and weight of his body soaked the front of Ryou's clothes. The breath from his gasping mouth hurt Ryou's face with its forceful stink. A rain of white hair dripped on Ryou's forehead and cheeks.

A harsh scoff, but one that held an ironic humor. "Such a welcome…" Dorobo mused.

Ryou felt an alien ache in his lower stomach… a burning feeling he didn't often get. And with that, a mixture of pure terror.

"Let's see what happens," Dorobo hissed. He groped a hand in between their pressed bodies, on Ryou's chest. And before he could protest, Dorobo had reached under Ryou's shirt and pulled out the modern Sennen Ring.

Then there was the clashing of two Sennen Rings.

It was as though the collision were coming from inside Ryou's chest, knocking against his ribs and puncturing his lungs. It was as though his core had been grasped and squeezed and… It was hard for Ryou to breathe.

"That…" the mouth hovering above Ryou's shuddered as well, sharing in the boy's discomfort, "Is _very_ interesting…"

Thankfully, Dorobo quickly tucked Ryou's Ring back under his shirt. "But too intense at this moment."

Ryou breathed again, but it was only to inhale Dorobo's smell of river bed and musty garlic. The curtain of white hair mixed, neither could tell the difference between Ryou's hair and Dorobo's. The weight of Dorobo made it hard for Ryou to move.

Dorobo grinned and Ryou got a close up look at his teeth. "Now…" His head leaned forward, mouth at Ryou's defenseless ear. "You smell delicious."

Ryou was motionless.

Dorobo stuck his nose in Ryou's hair, in Ryou's ear, breathing in Ryou's scent. "Wonder why you smell sooo _good_…" His exhaled breath roasted Ryou's already sun-singed skin. He moved down to Ryou's neck. "I bet you taste even better."

Ryou tried to remain still. As his back sunk into the moist river dirt beneath him, his mind swirled in a mix of emotions… The mouth at his skin was not what he would call unwanted, frightening, yes, unexpected, yes, but…

Then Dorobo's head moved up so that their mouths were positioned over each others. "Want to try it?"

"No," Ryou said.

But Dorobo was not to be discouraged. And his jaws closed over Ryou's mouth, as though he were taking a bite of some fruit.

Whatever that odd burning feeling had been in Ryou's lower stomach, it disappeared with the rush Ryou's fear. His body shuddered all the way down to his core. His consciousness sunk backward into his mind, 'I don't want to… I actually don't want to…'

As though he had been grabbed by the back of the shirt, Ryou was jerked out of his body and fell backward, deeper into his mind. And as he fell, he felt something speed past him. Ryou searched for a face, but the presence had moved too fast. So he came to rest in the hallway outside of his soul room, which surprised him. Usually when Ryou was taken out of consciousness he was immediately locked into his soul room, forbidden to see anything that followed, but this time Ryou could see everything. Perhaps in the Ring spirit's rush to take control of the body he had forgot to shut the boy's awareness away…

Ryou wasn't complaining.

So he watched as his other personality used Ryou Bakura's hand to choke Dorobo and peel his gaping jaws off of Ryou Bakura's sore mouth. Ryou was mesmerized, watching his own body move without his control… well, it wasn't really his body at the moment.

The spirit of the Ring moved Ryou's arms, throwing Dorobo off, sending him splashing into the river once again.

"_Don't_." Ryou's mouth moved, speaking words that Ryou did not say. "Don't. Touch. Yadonushi."

Dorobo rubbed his neck, where Ryou's otherwise-controlled hand had choked him. But there was also a dark look on his face, serious in some way… "What are you going to do? Kill me?" and he laughed, harsh and ironic.

Ryou knelt in the metaphysical hallway anticipating… he was overtaken by jitters of excitement.

Then Ryou watched as Dorobo's body stood, water pouring off his shoulders, out of this long crimson coat, washing out of his wet white hair. "I have the Ring."

"I noticed," Ryou's mouth spoke. And the sound of those words made Ryou's insides ache.

Dorobo showed his teeth again. "You didn't tell me how it would _feel_!"

Ryou's body was silent.

"You didn't tell me how it would hurt," and he threw his head back to the sky, "Or how it would invade every part of me! Or how it would try to eat me too!"

Again, Ryou's disconnected mouth did not speak.

"But I conquered it, as you can see!" Dorobo cried, his arms shooting up into air, water flying from his clothes. "The thing was no match, no match! I know all its secrets, every power. So _limitless_!" he howled.

"It's not." Ryou flinched as the words that were not his came again.

Dorobo didn't like that at all. "Perhaps you wouldn't know. Yours, no doubt, has been weighed down by so much angst. Your age has cluttered its true capacity."

"You think so?" the spirit of the Ring asked, maneuvering Ryou's vocal cords with precision.

Ryou saw the flash of murder in Dorobo's eyes before he struck. The thief's Sennen Ring burst into light, a shockwave of shadow power like a shell of heat was an inch from consuming Ryou's body before—

Power surged through the immaterial walls on either side Ryou, the-soulroom-that-was-not-his pulsated. And Ryou felt that power concentrate and collect in that alien soulroom before a ring of shadow power, brighter and fiercer than the other, sliced the thief's attack and then charged onto him. Dorobo's eyes were round as he flew backwards and crashed into the river again.

"You think what you have now is _power_?" the exotic voice hissed from Ryou's unworthy mouth. "_Don't_ get distracted."

And then Ryou could not see the river anymore, because his body had turned away from it and was heading back to the house.

Ryou was a mess of emotion. He felt dizzy so he lay backward in the center of hallway illusion, exactly between the doors to the two soul rooms.

And he smiled as he thought, 'You are _so_ cool.'

Ryou didn't know if the spirit had heard him. But the next thing Ryou knew was that he had been thrown back up into the body, fully in control of his adrenalin-pumped limbs. He staggered into the shack's lopsided doorway, its wooden corporeal walls.

"Hey."

Ryou jumped. Malik was beside the shack. He looked out of breath, dirty. His face did not hold the same energy as usual, instead… it was full of something painful.

"Malik," Ryou hiccupped. Nerves. "When'd you get back?"

Malik swallowed, his eyes had trouble focusing. "Just—just now."

"Oh," Ryou said. Did Malik know…? Had he seen Ryou and Dorobo's awkward positioning on the riverbed? "Dorobo-san's returned."

Malik nodded, but did not look excited… or surprised. "Has he?"

So he had seen. Ryou bent his head. "I'm sorry, Malik. It was nothing…"

"It's almost night," Malik interrupted rapidly. "I better… get out of here."

Guilt. Ryou was so sympathetic it hurt. "Ok."

And Malik, not looking down at the river, turned and ran the way he had just come.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Yugi watched the Pharaoh's motions with great care. Although he too was distraught by Mahaado's… fate, he was also worried about the unstable King, the leader who for all his displays of anger and hate, revealed so much weakness. So when the Pharaoh ran away from his councilors, away from Mahaado's tablet, Yugi willingly went with him. It was the least he could do…

In the Pharaoh's private chambers, Yugi pulled off the mask and wiped the tears that he had been unable to reach before. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, if I hadn't told him… if I hadn't…"

And Yugi saw that the Pharaoh was trembling, as though the warm desert night had turned icy. "Yugi…"

Yugi was at his side. He's do almost anything him at that moment. "Yes, Pharaoh?"

The King turned to Yugi and his hands went to Yugi's neck, specifically to the chain that held the Sennen Puzzle. "Your Puzzle. Take it off."

Yugi did not mean to back up, to distance himself, especially when the King of Egypt was in such delicate condition. "You know I can't."

"_Yugi_," this time he was more insistent and his fingers wrapped themselves around the Puzzle's chain, "I want you to take it off," he ordered.

"I _can't_," Yugi pleaded, pulling the Pharaoh's hands away from him, "Please understand, I can't—"

"It hates me," the Pharaoh snapped. He was trembling worse now, and he had gotten a hold of both of Yugi's wrists, clinging so tight to them that it hurt. "It hates me and I want it off! _I'm_ ordering you to take it off!"

"He—it doesn't _hate_—" Yugi bit his own tongue, he had almost revealed… Yugi flailed his arms, trying to break free from the King. "Please, you're hurting me!"

"_Why_?" the Pharaoh cried, and he let Yugi go so forcefully that the boy fell backwards onto the bed. "_Why_ won't you do as _I_ say?" The King of Egypt grabbed one of the stools and threw it across the room' it cracked on impact with the stone wall. "_Why_?"

Yugi bit his bottom lip so hard he thought it would bleed. The instinct to let his dark personality out was almost too great for him to handle. 'Not in front of the Pharaoh. He'll guess who you are. I don't think he can take that right now.'

/I am not concerned for _his_ constitution at the moment,/ the spirit of the Puzzle urged.

The Pharaoh had grown still. "_Mahaado_ would have taken it off. Mahaado would do _anything_ for me. Mahaado _loves_ me," the Pharaoh said. He wasn't facing Yugi. "No one else lov—loved me like him."

Yugi chanced a step towards the mourning King. "He was your most trusted priest."

The Pharaoh spun around as though he had just noticed Yugi. And his eyes were round but the light was too dim to tell if he was crying. It sounded like he was. But Yugi had never heard his other personality cry… he could not even imagine his other personality crying. It was too odd.

"You want to know about me?" the Pharaoh asked, but there was an edge to his voice. A catch.

Yugi gulped. "You know I do."

The Pharaoh strode forward with all the dignity he could manage. "Take off your Puzzle and I'll tell you anything you want to know.

Yugi hesitated.

/No,/ his darker personality said.

Yugi took a deep breath. 'He said he'd tell me anything.'

/It's a trap,/ The spirit was probably right.

Yugi's eyes were locked with the Pharaoh's, and he saw in those shallow eyes… Yugi pulled at the chain around his neck. 'I'll be ok.'

/Aibou, he only wants your—/

'I want to learn about you,' Yugi explained. 'I can't let this opportunity pass…'

And Yugi tore the chain off his neck, the Puzzle swung sadly by his hand.

'I'm sorry,' Yugi pleaded.

And then there was a hand on Yugi's chest that pushed him backwards onto the pile of cushions. And the Pharaoh followed after him. The King squeezed his arms around Yugi's middle and reeled the boy in so that their bodies were coiled around each other.

"First," the Pharaoh demanded, and his head leaned down, face an inch away from Yugi's. "I get to kiss you."

He didn't wait for Yugi's response. He simply took Yugi's mouth in his and held them together by the sheer power of his will. This, obviously, had not been part of the deal, and they both knew it. But Yugi didn't have anyway of escaping from the Pharaoh's hold now. He had let his Puzzle drop somewhere on the floor, unreachable. He had let the King of Egypt work his mouth open…

Yugi tensed, he had never experienced tongue before… or getting his lips sucked.

Finally Yugi was released and he celebrated by taking a large gulp of air. Before the Pharaoh could start again he had to ask a question. "Did you love Mahaado?"

"Like this?" the Pharaoh asked, "Once I did…"

'We're not in love…' Yugi wanted to say. God, this had been really stupid.

"But do you love him like he loved you?" Yugi clarified, wary of the mouth that was inching towards his.

"That is a ridiculous question," the Pharaoh stated but, as Yugi noticed, didn't answer. "We used to do this," the king recalled, "When we were kids."

"But he's so much older than you!" Yugi exclaimed. And what did the Pharaoh consider kids? How old was the Pharaoh now? 17? 18 maybe?

"He's only six floods older," the Pharaoh corrected. "I ordered him to kiss me several times. But I grew out of it."

Yugi couldn't think of a more awkward situation. What had distracted the Pharaoh away from Mahaado? A new priest that the Pharaoh had also ordered to… Yugi tried not to think how far the Pharaoh went… and how old he had been when he first…

"He was too practical about it," the Pharaoh continued, not noticing Yugi's fluster. "Too rational. But he was that way about everything. His love was too logical." The Pharaoh rested his head against a nearby pillow, which was a good sign that he was taking a break from ravaging Yugi. "He might have loved scrolls and hieroglyphs more than me. He was so obsessed with them…" The King's voice choked and Yugi was there to snuggle closer to his chest. A few moments and a sniffle later, the Pharaoh had composed himself again.

Yugi whispered, almost hated to bring up, "What about Seth?"

The Pharaoh started. "Seth? _That_ arrogant fool?" He twisted his head away. "I don't approve of him at all."

Yugi caught the slight of immaturity in the Pharaoh's tone. "Mahaado said you attached yourself to him when he first got here."

The Pharaoh shifted his arms, jerking Yugi's face up higher. "Let's do it again."

Yugi worked his arm up between thief bodies, creating some distance between their mouths, though not enough. "You promised to answer my questions."

The Pharaoh gave a showy sigh. "You've _seen_ Seth. In public he's _passionate_…" the King paused in remembrance. Yugi didn't like that adjective. "Until you get him on his own. Then he is stiff and unsociable."

'Sounds like Kaiba,' Yugi concluded. But how long did it take for the Pharaoh to grow tired of Seth? When had the priest stopped being interesting?

Would the Pharaoh lose his fascination with Yugi as well?

"Satisfied?" the Pharaoh leaned in again.

Yugi reached fro another question. "What's your name?"

Disappointed, the Pharaoh fell back against the pillows again. "That is more evidence of your lack of knowledge from this land. You cannot ask Your Pharaoh that."

"Why?" Yugi asked.

"Because, my most unusual guest," the Pharaoh scolded playfully, as though Yugi was child who couldn't know better, "My name is my power. I can't reveal it to just anyone."

Yugi was so shocked he forgot to watch his words. "Am I 'just anyone'?"

The Pharaoh grinned, and overtook Yugi before he could stop him. The Pharaoh had his hands in Yugi's hair, kissing Yugi's mouth, the corner of his lips. Then he whispered, mouth hot against Yugi's flesh, "You are everyone to me, Yugi." He snuck down, lips snaking down the boy's chin. "My Yugi…" he breathed.

Yugi tried to ignore how much… his body enjoyed the Pharaoh's touch. How much his skin warmed to the Pharaoh's open mouth. Despite his best efforts, Yugi's mind was completely devoid of specific thoughts, only a fuzzed absorption in his own flesh. Yugi could only see the top of the Pharaoh's bobbing head as the King explored Yugi's neck. Teeth teased Yugi's collar bone; it was an awkward yet… exhilarating.

Yugi squirmed, fighting for conscious thought. "Your name?" he moaned.

The Pharaoh chuckled, his cheek pressed against Yugi's throat. "You do not give you easily, do you?"

"It's not—fair," Yugi panted, coming back to his senses. "Why should you hide your name when everyone else must reveal theirs?"

"A name is power," the King slid his hand up Yugi's stomach. His mouth breathed on Yugi's delicate ears, "And my name is the _most_ powerful in this kingdom," he licked Yugi's earlobe.

His name was a weapon? Yugi tried to move his head away. "Is destruction all that matters?"

"What a depressing subject," the Pharaoh cooed, teeth nibbled on Yugi's ear. "And you're trying _so_ hard to ruin the moment."

That was half true. "Is life that hard here? Your childhood must have been harsh."

The Pharaoh stopped, inched his mouth away. "On the contrary, a Prince gets everything he wants."

Yugi pounced on the only information that was available to him. "Your father died recently, didn't he?"

There was a serious pause now. Yugi could not see the Pharaoh's face, which was buried at his ear, and therefore had no idea how the King was reacting. The answer came when the arms around Yugi's middle tightened once again.

"I admit defeat," the Pharaoh sighed, his ribs expanding in his disappointment. "You have succeeded in distracting me from your body."

Yugi felt guilty, but that had been his intent all along. "I'm sorry, I just want to know about you…"

The Pharaoh peeled his mouth away from Yugi's ear, leaving the appendage moist and cold. "I am the Pharaoh. My childhood was perfect. I trained to become a Pharaoh and now I have the opportunity to fulfill my destiny."

Sympathetic, Yugi met the Pharaoh's eye. "I won't let you die to fulfill it."

"A powerful sentiment," the King of Egypt commented, settled into his bed as though ready for sleep.

"I mean it," Yugi insisted. Thinking that all was safe now that the Pharaoh had stopped attacking him, Yugi curled himself to the Pharaoh's side, for comfort. He was getting too used to the comforts of sleeping next to another physical body. The feel of it, the musty smell of it was all so new…

The Pharaoh pulled Yugi closer. "In exchange for my distraction, I demand that you answer a question of mine."

Yugi was surprised. What could the Pharaoh possibly want to know about him? "Ok."

But the king was serious. "You must promise that you will answer it."

Yugi gulped. "Of course."

The Pharaoh frowned. "You already swore that you would tell me everything."

Yugi bit his lip. "I did."

The Pharaoh settled into the bed, drawing Yugi up so that both his arms were around the boy's middle. "Who is your lover?"

Yugi's stomach plummeted. "My—I don't—" But he had to watch his words under the Pharaoh's eyes. This was a very dangerous subject. "He's not exactly—"

"_He_?" the Pharaoh exclaimed.

"Yes. He," Yugi repeated, concerned. "What did you expect?"

The Pharaoh shrugged. "I did not perceive you as a sodomite."

Yugi gaped at the archaic term. "And _you_ are…?"

The king, with his undisturbed charisma, stated practically, "_I_ am the _Pharaoh_. But you are changing the subject. Tell me about your man then."

Yugi decided it was better to let this argument go. "He's nice." The Pharaoh leered at his guest. "He and I are… _very_ close." That was an understatement.

"What is his personality?" the Pharaoh interrogated.

Yugi hesitated. "He's…" Beyond measure, was the first thing that came to mind, "Wonderful." But that wasn't very specific. "And smart. And strong."

"Does he have any negative qualities?" the Pharaoh bit, obviously annoyed at the description.

Yugi thought about this. Yes, he did. "He is alone. And dependant, I suppose." But only as dependant as Yugi was on him. "And… he can't cry."

"That is a strength," the Pharaoh argued seriously.

"No," Yugi disagreed. "Not for him." The spirit of the Puzzle could not cry, for he had nothing sad to remember, nor anything happy.

"That is the very description of a Pharaoh," the king mentioned, toying with the boy's hair.

Yugi almost choked.

"One more question," the Pharaoh said. "Why does your puzzle dislike me?"

"It doesn't!" At least Yugi got the pronoun right this time. "It can't."

"And yet when you wear it I rejects my presence," the Pharaoh said.

"Maybe it doesn't like being next to the Other Puzzle." Yugi shook his head. "It doesn't hate you."

The Pharaoh paused, ran his fingers over Yugi's chin. "How do you know?"

"I do," Yugi answered and didn't think, as a holder of a Sennen Item he was required to give a clearer explanation.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The Thief was still furious about his fight with his future self. That and the fact that his battle with the Ring priest had come too close made the Thief King anxious.

And he did not handle anxious very well.

So he expressed his frustrations by going to nearby towns and destroying them. Villagers were his practice targets. The amount of land he obliterated measured the vastness of Diaboundo's power. And the survivors would serve as a nice little foreshadowing for the Pharaoh. Besides, murdering innocents helped keep his mind, and his sex, off of Ryou.

Ryou. The anomaly. The mistake.

_But_ the Thief wasn't thinking about those things. _No_. He had a weapon, a new _powerful_ weapon that's very purpose was destruction. Wonderful, pure, inanimate destruction that didn't have brown eyes or multiple minds living within its mortal shell… Yes, _destruction_ was _lovely_.

He was out for many days, as many as he could manage without proper rest, which with his new Thousand Year Item was far more than he thought possible. The thrill, the high of being a conductor between the Ring and his lovely Diaboundo was addicting. For his soul was no longer Ryou's silver, but veined with green rust and tarnished copper. It had grown stronger along with him.

But though his powers seemed limitless, his body was still mortal, despite the Thief's powerful denial. The vast exchanges of power through his system had exhausted his mortal shell, ripped its insides raw.

And too soon for the Thief King's liking, he was heading bad to the shack on a stolen horse in the bleeding midday sun. Furthermore, he was far closer to the shack than he had originally predicted, which meant that he would arrive during the day, when Malik was still there.

If he had arrived at night Ryou would have been alone—_not_ alone—in the house. Perhaps it was better that he to come in daylight after all…

The shack came upon him too quickly, its makeshift door too familiar. And that's when he hear the white-haired impossibility's scream.

Falling from the horse, flinging the cloth door aside, the Thief slid into the shack, out of Ra's glare…

To see Malik holding the tip of a dagger to Ryou/Bakura's throat.

The Thief blinked. It was not a dagger, it was the Sennen Rod. He was attacking Ryou/Bakura's mind with his Item.

And Ryou/Bakura's face was a fit of spasms, impossible to discern who was in control of the body at the moment. But both personalities were screaming through the mortal mouth they shared.

And Malik's head turned to face the Thief.

But it wasn't Malik.

Malik also had another personality then. That was the only explanation. And this other personality contorted Malik's pristine facial features into pure hideousness.

"Not so pretty is Bakura now? Should have chosen better, Thief King. Main personality doesn't seem like such a bad option, now does he?" And not-Malik cackled as he swerved back to his victims with a twist of the neck. "But then… Main Personality will always be _mine_."

The eye of the Sennen Rod glowed, and Ryou/Bakura screeched.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"Is it sickness?" one dim-witted guardsman suggested.

"The plague?" another asked in panic.

Priest Seth was not patient, nor did these guards deserve his attention. "_Idiots_. He has been cursed."

The man in question, Seth's fanning boy, had been found in the square of commoners wondering deaf and blind. He had not been so when their company had left the palace.

No time to waste. The only thing to dread was his predicted findings. Priest Seth raised the Rod, which caused his soldiers to jump back, naturally. The fanning boy, currently tied to a chair, squirmed without sight, hearing, or knowledge of his coming doom.

The Rod struck the servant's mind without mercy. It was apparent from the moment the priest entered the boy's brain that an outsider had been in there and manipulated the servant's senses.

But there was only one Sennen Item that could do that. His own. The Rod.

Confounded, and therefore furious, Seth ripped his presence out of the boy's consciousness. All those around watched as the fanning servant's body seized and then collapsed, dead in his seat. He was better off.

What did this mean? Seth needed to know.

"Out of my sight!" Seth ordered them all. The guards disappeared, eagerly.

Alone, Seth pondered in circles, examining the situation before him.

This fanning boy, the appearance of pale-skinned foreigners among the commoners, and… the Pharaoh's little harem interest, who was _not_ a harem. Seth did not know what he was looking for, or what the problem was but _something_ was stirring within the Kingdom. The priest could only study the sources. The fanning boy had only given him more confusing clues, the Pharaoh's pet harem was untouchable at the moment.

That only left the pale-skinned foreigners. The white-haired woman was still recovering from her beating by the commoners. But the yellow-haired prisoner was wide awake.

Seth flew from the room, off to the dungeons.

The prisoners from his Ka hunt were not being kept in the Pharaoh's usual dungeons. Below the army barracks behind the main palace where the councilors and court nobles lived, there was a second prison, deeper than the first and completely unknown to the King of Egypt. And in one of the cells in that secret dungeon was a yellowed-haired terrorist.

Calling two guards to accompany him, Priest Seth took the secret spiraling path to the cells. Down, down the stairs. The whole kingdom was falling down.

Only two prisoners were being held on this floor. One was for the white-haired woman, who was still recovering from her injuries, the other the yellow-haired terrorist who had saved the woman from being beaten to death by the crowds. The yellow-haired prisoner was crouched against the wall in an uncomfortable slumber, like an animal.

Seth stopped at the bars in front of the cell. "Get up."

The yellow-haired animal jumped, golden eyes popped onto the priest's face with another exclamation of, "_Kaiba_!", the terrorist's name for Seth, and then another series of useless foreign words. The priest had no idea what the word "kaiba" meant or what a "kaiba" was but this could all be easily remedied.

Seth motioned to one of the guards. "Unlock it." The servant obeyed, and the cell door swung open causing Yellow-Hair to twitch and jump to his feet. Seth stepped into the cell. He was not afraid and had no reason to be. What could this pathetic non-magical adolescent do to him?

Yellow-Hair did not look like he was going to attack, instead his golden foreign eyes were fixed on the Thousand Year Rod in Seth's hands. He flinched when Seth raised the Item, as though he already knew of its powers. Had he seen black magic objects before? Or could he simply feel its awesome presence?

Seth commanded a wave of shadow power to bind the foreigner to the wall behind him, limbs frozen. Yellow-Hair snarled in his savage tongue. Seth smirked as he approached his defenseless prisoner. Then he pressed the eye of his Rod to the terrorist's pale forehead.

"This will hurt," Seth said, though the brute could not comprehend.

Yellow-hair felt it, for he screamed and then just as suddenly, fell silent.

Seth pulled the Rod away. "Speak, if you can."

The prisoner's head jumped back up. "Did you say something?"

A successful operation. "I have questions for you, terrorist," Seth began.

Yellow-hair was astonished, beyond perhaps his own aggravation. "I can hear you!"

"Hopefully you have always had your hearing, savage," Seth drawled.

The prisoner squirmed against his magical bonds. "_Yeah_. But now I can totally understand you. How the hell did that happen?" Then his anger returned. "Oh, I get it, you went into my head with the Rod, didn't you?"

Seth paused. "You know the name of my Thousand Year Item?" How? How did this terrorist know the name of their Kingdom's greatest weapon?

Yellow-hair barked, "Hell I'd better. I was controlled by that thing!"

Astonished, confounded did not suit Seth. This was impossible. "I assure you, I would remember controlling one such as you."

"What? Nah, it wasn't _you_," the prisoner argued, "Malik. That bastard used me. I don't know how the hell you got his Rod."

"_His_ Rod, indeed." This was dangerous information. Another Rod? Another Rod user? No, it must have been a lie. "Who are your other accomplices?" Seth demanded.

Yellow-hair gave him a look that no one had ever given to a priest before. "Accomplices? What the hell are you talking about?"

If this idiot was a trained terrorist soldier, he was a bad one. Or perhaps he was telling the truth? No. "And the white-haired woman we caught with you?" And the harem boy? These were _not_ coincidences.

Yellow-hair's mouth tightened. "Never saw that lady before that day. I'm sorry for trying to save her life, _ok_? I can't—couldn't even understand what she was saying! How the hell would I know her?"

That might have been true. The woman spoke the Egyptian tongue, this boy did not, until a few seconds ago. But there were still too many coincidences.

"Look," the prisoner insisted struggling. "Call your Item-magic off of me, will ya? I can't freaking move."

Seth ignored this. "What about your friend in the court? What of his knowledge of our sacred tablet rituals? How do you explain this?"

"_Rituals_? What _friend_? I _told_ you, I got no one, ok! It's just me! I don't know anyone here! I don't even know what the fuck I'm doing here! I don't even have an Item…"

The impudence of this prisoner was infuriating. Yet… that look in this terrorist's eye… Besides, logically, Yellow-Hair did not have the constitution to be a terrorist; he was too immature. Just an odd foreigner then? No. That solution was too simple.

"What is 'kaiba'?" Seth asked finally.

Fury was hot in the prisoner's eyes. "You're nothing compared to him."

Instead of aggravated, Seth was rather… intrigued.

Was this relevant? Was this a clue? The priest didn't know. He had to think. "I will return. For your own safety, I hope you will feel more inclined to talk about your friends then," Seth addressed. The foreigner twisted his head as far away as possible, refusing to look at the priest.

When Seth had turned and ordered the guard to lock the cell once again he heard the prisoner cry, "You don't even look like him that much!"

Seth thought nothing of this remark as he left that place. It was only more to the puzzle. Was it even a puzzle? What kind of occurrence was Seth attempting to solve? What would eventually bring this Kingdom to its final destruction?

There was one more source of information. The Pharaoh's plaything. It would be in the King's chambers at the moment. Seth thought it was time he saw this "harem" for himself, without its precious mask.

He was out of the guards' barracks and back into the main palace. The Pharaoh would be with his councilors now. They would be kept awhile, especially nowadays. No one would be able to stop him.

He was approaching the royal chambers now. There was a pair of guards, which paled at the sight of the oncoming priest. They had been warned to stop Seth if he approached. The question now was whether they could. A blast of dark magic was all that was needed to banish the guards down the hall. Then Seth shoved the gold silk curtain from in front of the bed chambers…

And saw the most confusing sight.

It was the Pharaoh

But not the Pharaoh.

His skin was pale. His eyes were the wrong color, and those eyes… they were dark. Evil eyes. Full of sin.

Then the fake-Pharaoh blinked, and as though a spell had been lifted off of him, the figure shrunk into an adolescent boy with wide innocent eyes, neither the Pharaoh nor the fake-Pharaoh that had inhabited the body only seconds before.

And this demon, shape-changing imposter had the Thousand Year Puzzle around _its_ neck.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

OH SNAP! Secret's out! In case you didn't get that, Yami was out when Seth discovered him, and then he changed into Yugi. Just so you know.

I don't know why I put Jounouchi in these stories. To be honest I think he's a freaking idiot. (shrug) just makes more room for triangles! (sings) also to be honest this fiction was inspired by this fanart of Jounouchi sitting uncomfortably between Kaiba and Priest Seth (a very evil looking Seth and a rather bored looking Kaiba) and thus my muses are born!

I'm enjoying all these churchy themes I've been putting in here. Makes the Egyptians seems like fanatics, which if you lived in that time and didn't know how rain fell, you probably would be one too.

**REMEMBER THE REVIEW! OH WHAT'S THAT, DEAR LOVELY ATTRACTIVE READER? YOU'D LOVE TO? THANKS! MAN YOU GUYS ROCK!**


	9. The Supreme Blow

This chapter is basically just a continuation of all the craziness that was going on last chapter! Hope you like it ladies and (oh who are we kidding ourselves) more ladies!

And damn guys! Of the eight volumes that take up the "ancient Egypt arch" we are barely, and I mean _barely_, into the end of the second volume. So naturally, because I'm making up all this storyline there are very little chapter titles to chose from. which is why this chapter title SUX

Btws, there is no supreme blow in this chapter. Though every time I look at this title I think that it has some thing to do with really awesome cocaine. I'm I allowed to say these things on ff . net? god this title sucks.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 9: The Supreme Blow**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

The Thief was mesmerized by Ryou/Bakura's screaming face, mixed emotions, mixed personalities. Truly, having two souls in one body was weak. How could the Thief ever be reduced to this?

This other, darker Malik squeezed the tip of the other Thousand Year Rod into Ryou/Bakura's flesh. "Come out, dear light personality," the psychotic cooed. "Come and play, sweetie."

The Thief felt his sex moving. Yes, he too would love to say those words to a screaming Ryou…

Then, too quickly, too willingly, Ryou's light naïve personality surfaced with a gasp, pale face shiny with sweat. His large brown eyes darted about the room and spotted the Thief in the doorway. But he did not cry out for help. And the Egyptian Thief almost moved to Ryou's rescue but for a flash of menace inside the boy's eyes. Something—some_one_—warned him to hold his ground. Was this other Malik that dangerous? Not dangerous enough for the Thief. No way.

"Yes. Now, now precious. Better, isn't it?" Yami no Malik giggled. His eyes rolled with excitement. "I don't like your other personality that much, you must understand. Conflict of interest, see? I'd rather look at your shining face."

Ryou's eyes jumped back onto the predator in front of him. "Wh-where's Malik? You're not supposed to be out during the day."

"Yes, yes, very convenient, isn't it? So easy for you all to keep track of us if I only take the body at night," Yami no Malik commented with excessive use of his tongue to form words. The blade of the Rod twisted about Ryou's neck as he spoke, turning from one vital artery to another. "But you see Main Personality really was upset last night and, let's say, his emotions flooded over the usual boundaries."

Ryou flinched. That motion disguised his arm falling to his side. And the Thief watched as that same arm, alien-like, as though it were not attached to the rest of the body, slithered into Ryou's pants pocket.

Yami no Malik noticed nothing but Ryou's defenseless neck. It was a very attractive neck, the Thief had to admit. "Main Personality feels so much. He always has. It's what makes him such a nice host…"

Ryou's jaw locked. "I'm sorry, Malik."

Yami no Malik was on the verge of a laugh but Ryou's alien arm thrust into the air, a tight fist as though he was going to punch the other Malik, but at that distance he would have never made it. Especially since this Malik was agile and as soon as he spotted the fist he scrambled backwards with a snarl, Rod bursting to light once again. The battle of shadow powers began anew.

Why didn't Ryou/Bakura use his Ring? Why didn't he fight back against the powers of the Thousand Year Rod? What had he gotten out of the pocket just then?

Ryou screamed, at his outstretched, uncontrollable arm, at Yami no Malik. Then the face morphed again and the other Ryou, the Thief's future self, took over the expression, the entire body… then.

The whole shack was alight with gold.

The Thief recognized that smell in the air, a compressed whistle sound, like water thrown on fire. He even predicted the explosion of shadow energy after that. When the Thief's vision cleared and his ears stopped popping, Ryou's body was on the floor, shivering.

And quivering over the pale boy was _another_ equally pale double, bent over in weakness like a weak-thing that had not yet learned to stand.

Yami no Malik was bewildered, his pale pupil-less eyes round with astonishment. Two Ryous? Or was it two Bakuras? Or… was it…?

The other Malik croaked, "How…"

"Thief," Ryou's double snapped, still weakened from his newly born body. "If you wouldn't mind…"

The Thief didn't think. He snatched a dagger from the inside of his coat, closed the distance between him and this other Malik and knocked the tricky boy unconsciousness with the blunt end of his weapon.

Ryou's double—but the Thief knew who it really was—dove for his unconscious host. "Yadonushi." He grabbed Ryou's sleeping head in both hands and shook him. "_Yadonushi_!"

"What—" the Thief growled as he dropped Malik's limp body on the ground, "—in Osiris' Hell is going on? How did _you_ get a body?"

"It's not a real body, it's only an illusion. You don't recognize the ritual?" the Thief's future self said, still shaking Ryou's shoulders. He was straddling the boy to wake him… the Thief thought that was a little excessive. "You've experienced it yourself when your dear Diaboundo was created."

The Thief paused. It wasn't possible. The priest's ritual for extracting Ka, for making soul-monsters? Yes, Diaboundo and all soul-monsters were created in that way. "I think you're missing some Items to complete your ritual—" Gold flashed from the floor. A ball of gold rolled out from Ryou's limp hand. Bakura snatched it up from the dirt but not before the Thief recognized the Pharaoh's Eye on its surface.

"You have the Thousand Year Eye?" the Thief said, incredulous.

Bakura put the Item away, not looking at the thief. "Now you know your next target, I imagine."

No wonder the Thief had been unable to over power his future self down at the river. He had two Items all along. "Do you have the Key as well?"

"No," Bakura said still attempting to wake his host body. "Why do you think I am in this form rather than a soul-monster? The Key shapes the soul, Eye extracts it…"

"And the Rod severs it from the body," the thief concluded. "Are you severed from your precious host now?"

Bakura paused. "Yes. I am still tied to the Ring. Those bonds cannot be undone."

And that Ring was still around Ryou's neck. If the Thief could get that Item now and throw it away, his future self would be gone forever. Sounded like a great plan.

"_Yadonushi_!" Bakura hissed, but Ryou did not wake. "He doesn't know how to come out. If someone doesn't control the body soon it will lose oxygen."

The Thief didn't understand, and didn't care too. He was too fixated on how Bakura's body leaned over Ryou's. Malik had said Bakura _loved_ his host…

Bakura's eyes were trained on Ryou's lifeless face. "Your knife, thief."

"What?" What was he going to do? Cut Ryou's consciousness out of him?

"_Your knife_!" Bakura snarled, urgent. As if Ryou were in real danger… The Thief tossed his weapon and Bakura caught it without looking. He pulled up Ryou's sleeve and, without hesitation, cut the boy's shoulder in one swift stroke, as though carving meat. Dark blood escaped from Ryou's pasty flesh.

Blood never looked so elegant. Nor smell so potent.

Ryou flinched into life with a yelp. And with a large gulp of air, his opposite hand jumped to his bloody shoulder… and in the process smeared fresh blood over Bakura's fingers.

The Thief watched Ryou's brown eyes pop.

Bakura was still. So cautiously, so cleverly not looking his ex-host in the face as he got off of his lap. "Lock Malik up."

"You give orders now?" the Thief snarled. Like Hell he would obey this… this… now solid…

"Unless you want his other personality to murder us in our sleep," Bakura said, still so motionless. "Use the chains."

How did Bakura know the Thief had chains? Had he seen _this_ situation too? Planned the whole thing? Did he know this other Malik would try to kill him and then use him to extract himself from his host? The old spirit was cunning.

If the Thief left to lock Malik up, he would have to leave Bakura and Ryou alone. Could he avoid it? Not for long. Not as long as Bakura had a new body. The Thief slung Malik's unconscious self across his shoulder and carried him into the next room.

But the Thief noticed before he left, how tight Ryou was squeezing Bakura's now solid forearm.

And as Malik's flawless wrists were enclosed by shackles, the Thief heard through the stick walls…

"I…" a pause, not a sound of movement, not even a rustle of clothing. "I can't hear you… in my mind."

The Thief froze, ears posed, but there was no audible response.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Seth brandished his Rod at the demon imposter that stood in the Pharaoh's bedroom.

But though his magic was swift and would have certainly subdued the monster, the shadow magic reflected harmlessly off of the shape-changer. What kind of magic could effect the holy Thousand Year Items? Except… the Thousand Year Puzzle was still hanging so conspicuously from the boy's neck. How had he stolen it from the Pharaoh? And why did the Puzzle choose to protect this demon who was _not_ its true master?

In Seth's confusion, the demon boy ducked on his pale, _foreign_ legs, and slipped past the priest at a panicked dash.

The shape-changer would not get far. Seth found the minds of several soldiers around the corner, hooked their motor functions with this Rod and tugged the guards away from their posts, convening at the end of the hallway. The boy crashed into their waiting capture within seconds.

Seth maintained his steady walking pace throughout the entire capture.

The boy-demon screamed as the guards restrained him. "You don't understand! Please! You don't understand!" _it_ pleaded in rather actuate Egyptian. It had also spoke Egyptian the day it had tried killed Seth during the Ka practice too.

Seth reached the party, and he thrust the head of the Rod under the boy-demon's chin. "Time to fix this little miscalculation. The Pharaoh has been keeping too many secrets from his people."

Seth did not deny that he took savage pleasure in dragging the shape-changer into the Throne Hall, in front of _all_ the nobles, courtiers, and councilors, in front of all the other priests and the Pharaoh's high mighty chair.

Predictably, the King of Egypt leapt off his royal platform, a breech of centuries of traditions, to rescue his little "harem" sweetheart.

"_Release him at once!_" the Pharaoh roared, face colored with the dishonor. "Pharaoh says, _release him_!"

The guards, fearful of their lives, shoved the boy-demon out of their grasp. And the "boy" stumbled into his Pharaoh's hold, shivering.

Seth noticed that the Pharaoh was not without his Thousand Year Item, which, in total, made two Puzzles. Impossible. One must have been a fake.

"Seth! What is the meaning of—" But Akhenaden was struck speechless when he too spotted the boy for himself, unmasked. He would understand the implications of this complication too well.

Seth stood his ground. "A thousand apologies." He could feel the glow of righteousness about him. Justice of the truest kind, even the Pharaoh had to bow to it. "But I found this thief in your very chambers."

The Pharaoh held the demon-boy to his body. Tightly. Seth noticed. "He is no thief!"

"Is he not? How then does he possess an exact imitation of your Puzzle, my Pharaoh?" Seth remarked, proud of his calm composer.

Their audience was very concerned about this point as well. The courtiers and council members pressed their King in a wave of loud voices. The second Thousand Year Puzzle had a prominent effect on the priests as well. They were not pleased.

The Pharaoh only had eyes for his charge, unfortunately.

"I'm sorry," the "harem" kid said in a hushed tone. "I'm so so so _sorry_."

The Pharaoh, _tenderly_, held the demon against his body. "It's ok. I'll fix this, Yugi. Don't worry."

It was such an intimate conversation, usually the King and his harem would switch to their private language when they were talking to each other. Why were they still speaking in Egyptian? Or… were they?

"He just burst in— I couldn't—" the Yugi-child gasped. "Gomen. Gomen—"

Seth fought for his composure. They _were_ speaking in their hidden language. The only difference was _now_ Seth could understand their foreign words. But how? 'The yellow-haired prisoner,' Seth realized. 'He speaks the same tongue as the shape-changer. The Pharaoh must have learned it from him.'

This was a valuable piece of evidence.

"_Enough_!" the Pharaoh commanded, finally addressing his audience in the Throne Hall. "I will explain all in due time. First I must gather my priests." The councilors protested angrily, standing from their comfortably seating. "This is the will of the Pharaoh!" their King ordered.

That phrase was used far too often these days.

The priests did as they were told and filed into a side chamber. The shape-changer clung to the King's mighty robes, under the Pharaoh's arm. The priests, what was left of them, Akhenaden, Shaada, Kalim all grave. Isis remained impassive. They gathered awkwardly, all eyes on the pale-skinned boy.

"What is the meaning of this, my Pharaoh?" Shaada demanded. "What is this boy—?"

"He has another Thousand Year Puzzle—?" Kalim interjected.

"We need answers," Akhenaden was far more panicked than he behaved; after years of being his pupil, Seth could tell.

Pharaoh raised his free hand to call for silence. And he got it, because he was, at the moment still, the King of Egypt. "This is Yugi.

The boy-demon bowed awkwardly. None of the priests' severe expressions softened. Seth was proud of them.

"Yugi is a prophet," the Pharaoh continued, "He foresaw the death of Mahaado," the Pharaoh explained. "He knew Bakura's target of the Ring, which is why—" their king cleared his throat. A moment of weakness, Seth noted. "I attempted to confine Mahaado to the palace, though my plan could not hold up to the priest's stubbornness, in the end."

Isis' blue eyes were trained on the foreign boy-demon.

Shaada could not hold back any longer. "Why have we not heard of him before then? Why did he wear a mask in our presence? And why does he hold a copy of your own Item?"

"I…" the shape-changer hesitated, his thin hands holding his own Thousand Year Puzzle. He glanced at the Pharaoh who gave him an encouraging nod. The boy breathed and then turned back to the priests. "I've had this Item ever since I was young, and my grandfather found it—"

"Your grandfather—?"

"Impossible!" Akhenaden proclaimed.

"Let him speak!" the Pharaoh ordered. The priests reluctantly shut their mouths but were far from satisfied.

Yugi breathed again. "My Puzzle and the Pharaoh's come from the same power. We are connected." His childish fingers traced the edges of his paradoxical golden Item. "Our power is the same. We have the same Puzzle just…"

Outcrys from the priests.

"And you used that Puzzle to attack Seth during a practice!" Kalim claimed.

Seth felt immense satisfaction seeing horror engulf the boy-demon's expression. "I—that—that was an accident!" Yugi's eyes flashed to Seth and then shamefully lowered to the floor. "I didn't know he was in danger…"

"Blasphemy! This is madness!" Shaada shouted.

"Are we to believe that there are two equally powerful Thousand Year Puzzles?" Kalim agreed. "That cannot be."

Yugi bowed his head, backing up to stand with the Pharaoh again.

Akhenaden would not accept this. It was why Seth respected him so much. He would bring reason into this chaos, into the Pharaoh's corruption. "If what this youth says is true," the old priest stepped forward, in front of the Pharaoh. "If what he holds truly is a second Puzzle, in equal power to your own, does that mean he has the same authority as you, my Pharaoh?"

"No!" the boy, Yugi, spoke. But it was out of turn and the Pharaoh punished his impertinence with a look.

"Kore o makasete kudasai, Yugi," the King of Egypt told the boy in their secret language again. Seth could now recognize the change in their tongues.

Yugi lowered his eyes, obeying the King.

The Pharaoh returned his attention to his servants, smoothly and with confidence. "Yugi and his Item were sent by the gods to aid us in this war."

"War? Against who?" Kalim demanded.

"Bakura?" Shaada questioned.

"Of course," their King answered.

The priests hesitated. The Pharaoh was the voice of the gods on earth. Was it fair for a leader to have so much power over his subordinates? Seth wondered. But there was still more to be revealed.

"I guarantee you, my most trusted priests," the King promised, placing a confident hand on his boy-slut. "Yugi offers only help to the Kingdom."

Seth could keep silent no longer. "And what about this boy's magic?"

A chill reverberated off the cold flawless stone walls of the private chamber. It stunk into the priests and even into the Pharaoh's arrogant disposition. Even into the boy's large eyes.

"To what are referring, Seth?" the Pharaoh questioned.

It was as Seth predicted; the King of Egypt did not know of his harem-boy's little secret. "When I discovered your prophet in the Pharaoh's royal chamber, I saw not this boy but another."

Yugi trembled. Yes, Seth had discovered something very secret.

"It was as though this boy could change his shape."

The boy grabbed his Pharaoh's arm at the elbow. "Pharaoh—"

But the King of Egypt's eyes were hooked on Seth's.

It had been so long since the Pharaoh had looked at Seth with this much intensity. Not since he had been the Crowned Prince and Seth a newly made priest…

"Instead of this boy," Seth continued, lavishing in his control over the adolescent king. "His body was in a form identical to yours, My Pharaoh. Even more so than his current appearance. As though he were trying to impersonate you and thereby take your authority—"

"It's not true!" Yugi cried.

The Pharaoh tore himself out of Seth's control and grabbed his boy-slut by the shoulders. "_Nani o okurimashitaka, Yugi_?" The King had switched to the secret language; only Seth among the priests could understand their exchange. "What is my priest talking about?"

"I can explain," Yugi blurted, panicked.

"Explain?" Above the refreshed shouts from the priests, the Pharaoh's voice went shrill. "To explain would mean there were some _truth_ to these words? Is there Yugi?"

The boy trembled.

"_Is_ there?" the Pharaoh cried. Even the priests recognized the horror in their King's voice. It was clear to them, though they could not understand his words, that something had gone amiss.

At last. Seth allowed himself to grin.

Yugi swallowed. "Please, I will explain."

"You said you had told me everything," the Pharaoh said. His look had turned soft. Vulnerable. Weak. The very qualities a King should not have.

"Please," Yugi tugged on the King's robes. "Please, I'll explain. I promise—"

The King ripped his arm from Yugi's hold. "What _good_ is your word?" His godly shoulders shook. What was it? Anger? No, Seth guessed. Fear. He had finally been undermined. "You forget, I am King, Yugi. These men, my most trusted men, count on my and my word as authority. If what I am saying is incorrect, you must tell me." His voiced weakened. "_Why_ did you not tell me, Yugi?" The Pharaoh's words were the sentiments of a whiny child.

Yugi gained some of the Pharaoh's lost determinism. "He asked me not to."

The Pharaoh recoiled.

Yugi's expressed turned to pity. "_Soshite, kare ga daisuki kara_…"

And the Pharaoh, without the dismissal of his priests or an exiting remark, broke from the chamber, crimson cloak catching on the stone columns. Yugi scrambled after the Pharaoh, desperate.

The priests were left without acknowledgement, or respect.

The Kingdom's foundations were truly rumbling.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"Yeah… so… Sorry about that, guys," Malik laughed, nervously.

"_Sorry_?"

Malik just grinned uneasily as Dorobo yelled at him. He couldn't really do anything about it… now that he was all chained up anyway.

"You nearly _killed_ pale-face," Dorobo snarled jabbing his thumb at Ryou.

Ryou blinked. It hadn't been so bad. At the time anyway… the results of the confrontation though… were still unfortunate.

"I'm really _really_ sorry, Ryou-kun!" Malik whined. "_You_ know I am. Tell the thief, really, I can't control what _he_ does or when _he_ chooses to come out!"

"It's true," Ryou said, fiddling with the tight bandages on his upper arm. The spirit of the Ring had cut him to get Ryou out of his locked soulroom…

"Didn't come to rescue, did ya? Not even a warning."

"Look," Malik rolled his eyes. "I'm… mine's not like Bakura—or how Bakura used to be, I suppose—"

Ryou flinched.

"He's not from the Item. He's from me, ok? He came from me. _I'm_ the crazy one. He knows what I know, sees what I see and I can't shut him out—"

"He feels what Malik feels." Ryou found the words too easily. "He is made of Malik's strongest emotions. So when Malik saw Dorobo-san and me down at the beach, Malik's feelings exploded beyond his control and the other Malik was allowed to take control, even though it wasn't nighttime."

There was silence. Ryou looked up to find both the chained Malik's and Dorobo's attentions locked onto him.

Ryou's face burned with shame. "I'm sorry," he squeaked, gripping his forearms. "I'm sorry, I can't believe I said that out loud. God—Malik—I—"

Malik, a little less energetic, shrugged. "It's ok, Ryou."

But Ryou felt himself leave the room, not that he could walk very far in the shack. He found his papyrus mat and lay down upon it. Maybe he could sleep. Maybe then he wouldn't notice how empty his thoughts were. How silent his mind was…

"What's with _him_?" Dorobo demanded, not subtly. Although Ryou was out of view, he was still very much within earshot.

Malik made an exasperated sigh. "_Obviously_, he's not doing so well now that there's only one soul in his mind. Ryou doesn't like quiet."

"That's not true," Ryou said, out loud. _Again_. He didn't know if Malik heard. "God—stop it," he told himself.

Ryou bit the inside of his cheek. It didn't help.

"Hey." The large form of Dorobo was looming above him.

"Dorobo-san," Ryou greeted evenly, his cheek squashed against his papyrus mat. "I don't really know how to help you at the moment…"

"I'm not the one that needs help, crazy."

Ryou gave in and sat up. "I'm not crazy."

Dorobo sat down on the dirt floor.

"You know your waist cloth doesn't cover much," Ryou said, keeping his eyes perfectly level.

Dorobo grinned. "It's not supposed to."

Ryou made no face. "You don't wear your head clothe anymore."

"I told you, it's a Klaft," Dorobo sneered. "Can't you remember anything?"

"You used to wear it all the time."

"Yeah," Dorobo's lidded eyes were not amused. "And now I don't."

"Is it because you're identifying more with mou hitori no boku?" But wait. That named didn't really fit anymore. The spirit of the Ring wasn't in Ryou's head anymore after all.

"Would you give me a chance to speak or would you like to answer every question by yourself?"

Ryou bowed his head.

"You're talking too much," Dorobo said.

"You think so too?" Ryou mused, picking at the dirt floor with his fingers. "Wonder why that is…"

"Probably because the only way for _him_ to know what you're thinking now is if he hears you say so out loud."

Ryou pursed his lips.

Dorobo scoffed. "How pathetic. And I used to think you were so collected."

Ryou shrugged. Suddenly, he didn't feel like talking anymore.

The thief frowned, squaring his broad shoulders. His white mess of hair splayed freely all around his head. "Words don't really work, do they?"

Ryou fought himself. "No."

Dorobo rolled his head on his neck. "Yeah." Then he leaned over the dirt floor and started pick up scraps of clothing, rocks, twigs, as though clearing a space. "Here." He drew a grid, three by ten squares long, in the loose dirt between Ryou and himself.

Ryou uncurled his body from its protective ball. "What are you doing?"

"It's called Senet. You do still have all your smarts, right?" Dorobo snapped as he divided up his objects. Ryou got a series of sticks and scraps of stale food. Dorobo had rocks, string, and broken clay pieces. Seven pieces each. Dorobo lined up the "game pieces" and opposite sides of the "board".

"A game…" Ryou said.

"_Yeah_." The thief was annoyed

But Ryou felt himself relax. "I love games."

"Good for you."

Ryou scooted closer to the board. "I used to play them with Yugi all the time…"

Dorobo's fingers fumbled and he had to redraw one of his lines. "The _Pharaoh's_ copy?"

Ryou nodded. "We're friends."

"Not anymore," the thief scoffed.

Ryou didn't argue. He listened attentively as Dorobo grunted the rules of Senet. "Some priests use this game for rituals, the fools. Say that it symbolizes the struggle between good and evil forces." He snorted. "Cause my pieces will be trying to get to the Kingdom of Osiris and your 'evil' pieces are supposed to stop me. Whoever gets resurrected first wins."

Ryou shrugged. "Microcosm, macrocosm."

Dorobo's brow furrowed. "_What_?"

"Nothing," Ryou dismissed and prodded a corner of stale bread into another dirt square.

As the game progressed, it turned out that Dorobo was just as clever as his future self. Ryou was losing but that didn't matter so much.

"You're cheering me up," Ryou said, cause he couldn't stop his mouth.

Dorobo spat over his shoulder. "Completely accidental, I assure you."

"Liar," Ryou said, twirling a stick piece between his fingers as he pondered where to go next.

Now the thief was annoyed. "What about you then? What about you and your fear of silence?"

Ryou shrugged. "Not nearly as embarrassing."

"And your love of your other personality?"

Now Ryou's skin flushed with uncomfortable warmth. "Malik told you that."

"Useful one, that Malik," Dorobo sneered with a wicked grin. "How did that work out for you two? Before he got his own body, I mean."

Ryou said nothing but reinforced his attention on the game.

"You couldn't touch, couldn't do nothing useful. Pretty lame situation if you ask me." Again with that devilish flash of teeth. Ryou was not deceived. He could still remember Dorobo jumping him on that lake bed…

"There is a metaphysical space in our consciousness where mental projections of ourselves have the ability to interact." Not that a situation like that had even happened between Ryou and the Ring's spirit, but Ryou didn't feel like mentioning this.

There was a pause. Was Dorobo reforming his argument, selecting another angle of attack? What was his goal in this conversation? "And how's the sexing for 'mental projections'?" the thief asked.

Going right to the point. Was he frustrated? Ryou ran a hand through his thick hair but did not look up. "It doesn't work like that."

"But sexing isn't impossible," Dorobo continued.

Ryou breathed. "I don't know.

"You've never tried?" Dorobo accused, rather suddenly. "Does he love you or not?"

Ryou knew they were never going to get back to the game now. Where was the spirit of the Ring right now anyway? He had disappeared the moment after putting Ryou to bed the day before. Without saying a word… "I can't speak for anyone but myself."

Eyes still lowered, Ryou saw the thief's muscles tense. "Cut the crap. Are you just pining after him or have you two sexed?"

Ryou couldn't say. So he didn't say anything at all.

"Got _off _on each other?"

Again Ryou was silence.

Dorobo was the one getting flustered now. "_Kissed_? _Once_?"

Again, silence.

"Have you done _anything_ with him?"

Ryou's mouth remained tight and closed.

Dorobo's breath was getting hot, thinker than the already scorching desert air. "If you two couldn't touch, _before_ yesterday, _how_ is it that you get hot whenever you think of him? _What_ is it about a metaphysical voice gets you excited?"

After a beat, "He's just so... cool." Were the only words Ryou could think even came close to describing it.

"_Cool_?" Dorobo had had enough.

Ryou nodded. He was. The spirit of the Ring was the epitome of cool.

But apparently Dorobo didn't like that answer. Cause he threw himself forward, destroying the game in the dirt. He was leaning right over Ryou… very, very close. Ryou had to lean back to keep their bodies from touching.

"You must be glad now then," Dorobo's face was in his now, there was no avoid his powerful expressions. "You've each got your own bodies. You two must love that. Ready to test your affections in physical world?"

Ryou tried to pulled his body back, but Dorobo was closing in at a faster speed. "I don't know."

"Come now," and Dorobo's voice had turned silky, eyes penetrating. "Wouldn't you love to feel him? All of him?"

The muscles in Ryou's arm, the ones that were preventing him from collapsing backwards on his ass, were trembling. "Why are you so interested?"

The thief grinned. "I'm only trying to understand my future self's motives. Why he does what he does would be beneficial to me, don't you think?"

Ryou doubted that was what was really going on.

With a snicker, Dorobo pulled himself forward, bringing their bodies closer and towering over the boy. "Could you help me investigate my future inclinations?"

Ryou quivered like a tree. He didn't know what to do anymore. He had not seen, or heard, or sensed the spirit of the Ring since the day before. Where was he now? Far away? Out of reach? Ryou was a horrible mess of fear.

"You're not talking so much now?" Dorobo cooed as he seated himself between Ryou's sprawled legs. He was lowering himself, bringing their faces together.

"Malik's—" Ryou gasped, still leaning back, away.

"Chained up." The thief took Ryou by the front of his shirt and tugged him closer. His young Egyptian eyes burned. Not like what Ryou had glimpsed of his Yami's. Those were black. Dorobo's were fiery violet.

Ryou struggled, futilely, against Dorobo's grip on his shirt. "Why?"

The thief chuckled and his breath was poisonous. "Why what?"

"Why do you keep doing _this_?"

Dorobo's gleeful look dimmed, but that was merely the trigger. And he swallowed Ryou's breath and voice with a smothering kiss. Ryou struggled but the thief's mouth was kinda… hot. And Dorobo's own body rippled against Ryou's, the thief king's solid muscular form pulling the boy in. Still Ryou fought. But when he ripped his mouth away from Dorobo, the thief grabbed the boy's head with a single hand and consumed him once again. He was strong. So strong he brought Ryou to the ground and even though Ryou squirmed to get away, Dorobo got himself on top, straddling the boy.

Ryou panted, his hair mixing with the sandy floor. "Please stop."

Dorobo barked a harsh laugh. "Come, pale-face. You _love_ this." And then he bent down to ravish Ryou's neck with teeth, and grope under Ryou's t-shirt.

"Please," Ryou repeated, jaw tensing. His throat was burning. "I don't want this."

"You're lying," Dorobo growled, moving his mouth south, his hands…

Ryou gasped because he couldn't breathe. An enormous pressure was building up in his brain. "I'm _not_ lying."

There must have been something different in Ryou's voice, because Dorobo actually looked up from his progress. His eyes changed when he looked at Ryou's face.

He got mad.

"You're lying."

The burning in Ryou's throat had taken over his whole skull. "I'm not."

Dorobo snarled. "_What the—_?" And he punched the ground next to Ryou's head. "_This_ is what you want. You fucking love _him_. Well, _I'm_ him. So shut your disgusting mouth!" Dorobo was full of rage; he was shivering with it.

Soundlessly, because his throat was swollen, Ryou shook his head.

"You lie! You _fucking_— " Dorobo roared. His face was red. His breath was raw. "_Stop_ crying!"

Ryou was startled. He had to actually touch his face to find the tears. So he was… Ryou hadn't cried in a really long time. Not since… the night when he and the Ring spirit had first met…

"Stop crying." This time it was an order. Dorobo was not giving up. "You're not fooling anyone." He barred his white teeth, his massive body still crouching on top of Ryou. "I'll show you." And the thief King grabbed for Ryou's pants, frantic, possessive.

Ryou struggled, pushing the thief's hands away, but it was only a matter of time. In his head, Ryou was screaming. If his thoughts were loud enough the spirit would hear, right? He would come out and save him like all the other times. Then why wasn't he here now?

'Maybe.' Panic struck. 'Maybe he really can't hear me anymore.'

Desperate, Ryou wriggled just free enough to work his hand to his shirt, getting a grip on the Sennen Ring and squeezing it with all his might. "_Stop_!" Ryou screamed, so loud that his throat ripped. "STOP!"

Finally, a flash of golden light.

Ryou had never seen it outside of his mind before.

The Ring on Ryou's chest glowed hot. A pulse of shadow magic from its center shot outwards, throwing Dorobo off Ryou and slamming into the unstable wall of the shack.

Ryou was paralyzed, just as he had been the first time he had seen the spirit of the Ring in his own physical form. Because… it wasn't really supposed to be possible. Looking just at the spirit's body… it was like looking at a picture of himself. Only the face was different, and so, so cool.

Dorobo, hair in a white fury, kicked the ground and got to his feet, seething with anger. "What now, future self?" the thief King spat. "You going to take over for me?"

The spirit of the Ring's expression was stony. "Yadonushi."

Ryou's heart jumped. His Yami was _talking_ to him. Talking… directly to _him_. "Yes."

"Go to Malik," the spirit instructed.

And his words were so absolute Ryou had to follow. The boy got to his clumsy feet and blindly went to Malik, not looking back.

Malik greeted him with a warm smile at least. "Hey." But when Ryou sat down, "You, ah… sure you should be sitting so close to me?"

Ryou blinked. "Why not?"

Malik rolled his eyes. "Well, there's that whole half of my personality who, I'm sure, would love to split your pretty self open."

Ryou shrugged. "Honestly, I don't mind the risk."

Malik seemed shocked. "Really? Cause I could seriously turn at any second."

"I don't think he's too interested in me anyway."

"Ryou, dear," Malik said practically as he patted the boy's fluffy white hair as best he could with restrained hands. "You should have realized by now, _everyone_ in this crazy house is _interested_ in you."

"Even you?" Ryou asked, curious.

Malik opened his mouth, thought about this, then closed it again. "Are you offering?"

Ryou sighed. "I'm tired, Malik." He rested his head on his Egyptian friend's shoulder. "If you are going to molest me, try not to wake me."

Malik giggled. "Will do. Though how you'll sleep through _their_ shouting, I don't know."

Ryou shrugged. He didn't care what Dorobo and the spirit of the Ring were saying to each other. Just the fact that his Yami had come out to save him… and had spoke to him…

"_Yadonushi… Go to Malik."_

"_Yadonushi…"_

Ryou slept peacefully.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

"Kore o makasete kudasai" – please leave this to me (the Pharaoh to Yugi)

"Nani o okurimashitaka?"- what happened? (Pharaoh asks Yugi after Seth's accusation)

"Soshite, kare ga daisuki kara" – And I love him. (Yugi says referring to Yami)

(please correct me if any of this is wrong)

I don't know why I put a lot of Japanese in this chapter but the language was important for PLOT. (or that's what I told myself anyway) I hope it wasn't too confusing! For those of you that know about the language already, which might be some of you, um, I wasn't sure whether to put aishiteru or daisuki. I figured that as a true Japanese person, Yugi would be to embarrassed to use aishiteru. Daisuki works just as well. Though it is the same phrase that Yugi uses was he says "I love you" to Jounouchi when Malik's possessing him. So… yeah. Whatever that means.

Yay! It's the return of insane Ryou! I almost buried him forever in _**Contamination**_, but I like to pull him out every once in a while in times of great stress. Haha!

_That_, my children, _that, _what Thief King almost did, is called rape, btws. Don't let that happen.

**REVIEW**! And I'll buy you all three dozen cakes… each. Only you won't know that they are from me and you will all get them over a series of years from various people who will tell you that they bought them for you themselves. (this is a lie, all the cakes you will ever receive ever will be from me (unless of course you don't **REVIEW** in that case you're cake-fucked)) so **REVIEW**!

As always Psychotic Tendencies got me. and every time she has to remind me to update I must mention how wonderful she is in my Authors Notes. YAY!

**REVIEW!**


	10. Openning the Unseen Door

WARNING! THIS IS A VERY EDUCATED JOKE!

Once upon a time, in the land of ancient Egypt:

Yugi: O look, its polaris!

Atemu (shakes his head): oh silly Yugi. You are so dumb! That's Thuban! Will you have sex with me now?

Yugi: NO! It's polaris!

Atemu: Works for me! (tackles)

(DID YOU KNOW THAT 3000 YEARS AGO WE HAD A DIFFERENT POLAR STAR? ITS TRUE! IT WAS NOT POLARIS IT WAS THUBAN!)

If I studied sciences like my brain wanted me too then life would have been so much easier… and richer. And then I wouldn't have to take four-mouth-long hiatuses… hiatusi?

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 10: Opening the Unseen Door**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

The Pharaoh had made it to his room. He had gotten away from his priests but he hadn't escaped Yugi, who was following fast behind him.

"Wait!" the boy cried. "Pharaoh!" No guards dared to stop him now, not with his face so similar to their sovereign's.

Now the King of Egypt was at a dead end, trapped in his own quarters. The Pharaoh felt the anxiety building in his chest. What was happening? What was Yugi? Why had the Pharaoh ever accepted him? Without question, without doubt. How had he not realized, even through the eyes of the gods, this made no sense?

There was the whip of fabric as the cloth shift in the doorway was ripped out of the way of Yugi's flying entrance. Before the Pharaoh could turn to face the boy, a small body fell against him at full speed. Yugi's mouth was gasping for breath as he clung to the Pharaoh's tunic.

"Please," Yugi moaned, face buried against the Pharaoh's chest. "Please, just listen."

The Pharaoh swallowed and placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. In the end, he was just a boy. A boy who had somehow become too important to the King of Egypt.

Yugi gasped for air but didn't release his tight grip on the Pharaoh's robes. "Everything I have ever said is true, I swear. I could never lie to you. There was… just one thing I didn't tell you…"

The Pharaoh found Yugi's shoulders and pulled him just far enough away so that he could look into the boy's face. It was pink around the eyes, as though he was going to burst into tears at any moment.

"Tell me now," the Pharaoh commanded.

Yugi sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Actually… it would probably be better if he just told you himself."

And before the Pharaoh make anything of that statement, Yugi's eyes had closed and the Puzzle around his neck burst into life.

The Pharaoh was so surprised his hands fell from Yugi's shoulders and he stepped backwards. But as sudden as it had begun, the other Puzzle had dimmed back to its innocent lifeless state.

The Pharaoh did not breathe.

A change had come over Yugi. His shoulders had become very rigid. He seemed taller, although that was impossible. His stance was…. stronger. Almost… intimidating? Yugi? _Intimidating_? How was this possible? How had Yugi's face lost its roundness? The pink in his cheeks? His features seemed so angular now, and pale.

When the boy's eyes snapped opened. Red.

Yugi's eyes were not red.

This was not Yugi.

It was as though the Pharaoh were looking into a mirror. Apart from his pale-skin, this being's features were so identical to the Pharaoh's that it felt wrong looking at him. More vivid and clear than any reflection in water or at the bottom of a basin. Like it was a paradox.

"We finally meet," Yugi's body spoke but the words were deep and smooth. Not Yugi's voice.

The Pharaoh fought to keep his knees steady. He couldn't show his weakness. No, he stood tall and proud and challenged this stranger possessing Yugi's body. "And just whom am I meeting?"

In complete confidence, yet with a tone utterly void of conceit, the stranger with the red eyes said, "I am the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, locked away within this Item for three thousand years."

"A spirit?" the Pharaoh paced. He felt sick but kept his features stable. "Then you are not Yugi?"

The stranger controlling Yugi's body had a grave face, not one flicker of weakness could be seen. This being was utterly flawless, so… full of smoldering power. "I am Yugi and I am not Yugi. I am the consciousness that awakened when Mutou Yugi solved the Sennen Puzzle. I am his other soul."

"Other soul?" the Pharaoh repeated. He didn't understand. In Yugi's time the Puzzle had its own soul? But that was not the case now in his time. What had happened to the Puzzle to force it to absorb an entire soul? Only the generation of a tremendous amount of power would require such a cost… "If you are not Yugi then who are you? How did you come to reside in the Puzzle?"

The foreign soul, though never releasing the Pharaoh from his stare, paused for a moment before continuing. "I have no memories before Yugi." His eyes never lost their intensity while he spoke. "I have no personal knowledge of the event."

This answer did not ease the Pharaoh's anxiety. "But you have some clue."

"As do you," the spirit of the Puzzle answered with perfect confidence.

The Pharaoh ripped his eyes away, retreating to the other side of the room. He was shaken. He had a guess of who this soul could be… but…

"In Yugi's time," the spirit began again, taking no heed of the Pharaoh's distress. "In a museum there is a stone tablet. And on that stone tablet there is a picture of a nameless Pharaoh, never before recorded in history, carrying the Sennen Puzzle around his neck."

"That does not mean it is me," the Pharaoh argued. He had not meant to speak so suddenly but he could not shake the feeling that he was being cornered, trapped somehow. "My father held the Sennen Puzzle, and after my time, the Puzzle will be passed down through the line of Kings. This Pharaoh you saw could have been any number of my successors—"

"No, it is not," the spirit of the Puzzle said, his voice strong. "The Puzzle ends with your reign. It will be buried in a tomb beneath the desert, untouched for three thousand years."

"Impossible," the Pharaoh said. His back was against the stone wall behind him. His hands had somehow found their way to his upset stomach, trying to hold in the dread. He tried very hard not to look at the soul who stared back at him from within Yugi's body. "How disastrous could this battle possibly become? He's only one thief!"

"I do not know," the spirit said. "Aibou doesn't know himself. We only know the outcome."

The Pharaoh left the wall, suddenly filled with the need to move, to escape. "Yugi said I—Yugi promised me the greatest afterlife of all."

"Aibou promised you no such thing," the spirit corrected coldly.

"He never said anything about my soul being prevented from moving on!"

"Because I told him not to," the spirit argued. He had not moved since he had appeared before the King of Egypt yet it felt like his presence was closing in on the Pharaoh. "Aibou wanted to tell you the truth but I thought it would be too shocking for you."

The Pharaoh had sunk shamefully into a panic. Futile thoughts circling around his head. "I am to be honored by the gods. I am—to join my father and all the great Pharaohs before me in Fields of Aaru…" But before the spirit's eyes, the Pharaoh's voice swallowed itself in his throat. "Nameless… did you say? Forgotten? I am to be forgotten by all, even my own people? My soul lost, separated, never to enter the paradise world…"

The spirit was motionless, his eyes hard as he allowed the King to finish before he spoke, deliberately, "I would trade that afterlife a thousand times to be with aibou."

Those words paralyzed the Pharaoh. He had to grab a nearby gold bedpost for support, thrown that the spirit of the Puzzle was serious.

"Aibou?" How tired was the Pharaoh growing of that word. Every time the spirit said 'aibou' the Pharaoh felt sicker. Along with the loss of his afterlife, this was too much. "You are Yugi's lover." The King of Egypt released the tension in his gut with a single, horse breath. "It is perfectly clear now. And I thought it was Yugi's Puzzle that hated me but it was you all along, was it not?"

The spirit of the Puzzle crossed Yugi's arms over his chest. A defensive stance. "I don't hate you. I love him."

"The feeling is mutual as I understand it," the Pharaoh responded.

The spirit's frowned with Yugi's mouth, but said nothing.

"I see the truth, as I did not before," the Pharaoh continued, ignoring the spirit's last comment. "So this is why Yugi was so fascinated with me. It was all because of you. He wanted to learn about me only to learn about you." The dread was building again. The Pharaoh gripped his bedpost tighter. "Obviously I misread all the signals. How depressing." And truly it was.

"Aibou meant no ill," the spirit said and, if the Pharaoh was not mistaken, softening. Taking pity on his past self? This situation was getting more sardonic by the second.

"No," the Pharaoh agreed and he waved his hands over his eyes. "No, I don't suppose he can. Yugi doesn't have a negative will in his body." The Pharaoh breathed. "But I suppose you would know that better than anyone."

The spirit chose silence as his answer.

It was all so inevitable, so doomed. Since the beginning. The Pharaoh sighed. "I can't even be disappointed. After all, if your tale is true, I will get him eventually in one form or another." And the King met the spirit's eyes once again. How mysterious they were. Seemingly void and yet… they were not nearly as fierce as before.

There was silence for a while between them. The Pharaoh let himself absorb the horrible irony of the situation accompanied by the new knowledge of his doomed soul, his unreachable afterlife. And yet the thought that was closest to him was that Yugi would never be wholly his because of his own future interference.

What a ridiculous circle.

"Is there nothing to be done to prevent this awful conclusion?" he asked, but being the Pharaoh and akin to a god, he already knew the nature of fate.

"Aibou thinks he can change it," the spirit of the Puzzle said.

"And you?" the Pharaoh asked. "What does the Pharaoh of the future think about this web we're in?"

The spirit actually took his mysterious eyes away from the Pharaoh. "I will support aibou in whatever he believes."

The Pharaoh knew what this meant.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

It had not been that long since the Kaiba-look-a-like had left Jounouchi to the devices of the guards and their spears and fists… But he had taken far worse beatings before, during his life on the streets of gangs and thugs. Yeah, this whole torture thing brought up some _lovely_ long-suppressed memories of middle school.

Then the Not-Kaiba-guy entered the room and just when Jounouchi was totally ready to spit a load of saliva and blood into his very-similar face…

"What is the meaning of this?"

Not-Kaiba was furious. His blue eyes sent the same wrath that Kaiba's did. The two guards, one was holding Jounouchi down, the another had the blunt end of his spear raised over his head ready to strike the blond a couple more times in the ribs… But when they saw the Not-Kaiba-guy enter they scampered for their lives.

"But my lord," one guard pleaded skidding away from Jounouchi. "Did you not want us to prepare the prisoner for further interrogation?"

Not-Kaiba came into the open cell in a rage. "Did I specifically request his mutilation?"

The two guards did not dare to speak.

"_Did I_?" Not-Kaiba once again snarled.

"No, my lord," the guards answered.

Not-Kaiba brandished the Sennen Rod at his side. "Do you fools believe that the pain of having your bones broken is pleasurable? If so, I can arrange such an experience for both of you…"

"Forgive us!" the guards collapsed to their knees. "We are unworthy, lord Seth!"

Not-Kaiba scoffed, in _very_ Kaiba-like fashion. "Get out of my sight." And the guards obeyed, flying from the cell as fast as their feet could go.

Jounouchi coughed the mouthful of blood he had been saving for Not-Kaiba's shoes onto the floor. Perhaps it wasn't as appropriate anymore. He struggled to pull himself up on his knees to look at his rescuer. "Aren't you gonna punish them?"

Not-Kaiba, or Lord Seth, as the guards had called him, gave a dignified snort. "Why should I?"

Jounouchi gaped. He hands were still tied behind his back. The ropes were killing him. "They pummeled me!"

Lord Seth, or Seth, was not impressed. "No permanent harm was done."

Maybe he should have spat at Seth anyway. Jerk deserved it. But just as Jounouchi was about to growl another insult at this overly-pompous version of Kaiba, Seth leaned down and snapped the ropes binding his hands with the blade of the Sennen Rod.

Jounouchi rubbed his injured wrists. "Thanks," he grumbled.

Seth examined his prisoner in an odd look. "You do know how to be civilized."

Jounouchi frowned. "_Yeah_, I've never heard _that_ before." Leave it to Kaiba to ruin everything–well, Not-Kaiba, anyway. With his arms now released, Jounouchi got to his feet and headed over to the corner of his cell where some kinda grass matt had been place, Jounouchi guessed, as a bed. At least he could sleep these injuries off.

"You said before that you were controlled at one time by my Item?" Seth asked.

Jounouchi groaned in pain as he lowered himself to his less than accommodating bed and found the fibers scratchy. There'd be a long night ahead of him. "Come on, man. Haven't I been through enough without your dammed questions?"

But Seth turned out to be as relentless as Kaiba. "Describe the previous situation to me."

Jounouchi grumbled. But what could he do? He needed this Kaiba-look-alike. Maybe this guy was the key to figuring out why Jounouchi was here in Egypt, ancient Egypt it seemed like. Maybe this guy was the key to getting him home again. For that reason alone Jounouchi had to be useful to this guy as long as possible.

So Jounouchi cleared his throat and crossed his arms under his head, trying to get comfortable. "It was a long time ago, okay?"

Seth waited for the rest of the story.

"It was like I was aware of what was happening, but I couldn't stop myself from…" Jounouchi shivered. He could still remember how eerie Malik's presence had worked its way deep inside his head. "Well, I nearly killed my best friend. Managed to snap out of it but it wasn't soon enough to stop the duel." Jounouchi didn't feel like explaining what a Duel Monster's duel was. If this pries-Kaiba wanted to know he'd have to ask.

"You broke out of a full mind control?" Seth questioned.

Jounouchi shrugged but then flinched as this irritated his bruised ribs. "Yeah. So what?"

Seth scoffed, holding the Sennen Rod as though it was a royal scepter. "No one with your mind capacity could have broken the binds of a Thousand Year Item."

"Yeah?" And despite his bruises, Jounouchi sat up, very self-righteously. "Then check it."

"Excuse me?"

Jounouchi held in his blistering side. His head was spinning with the pain. If this was going to happen anyway, might as well get it over with. "Check inside my head. You can do that with the Sennen Rod, right?"

Seth didn't move for a moment, he was examining Jounouchi with a new eye. It was… not like Kaiba's usual calculating stares. It was… harder to read. Then just when Jounouchi thought the guy was going to refuse, Seth moved, bringing the Rod forward.

When he had gotten close enough, Jounouchi said, pulse speeding up, "Just don't go looking at anything else while you're in there, ok? I'll be able to tell, you know."

Seth's expression revealed nothing as the Rod lit up with its similar golden light.

Immediately Jounouchi felt the invading consciousness shifting around in his thoughts. This Seth guy was much more considerate than Malik had been while searching through Jounouchi's mind but that did not mean he was gentle by any means. Jounouchi followed his clumsy path through memories of Shizuka as a kid, Duel Monsters, his father beating him with a lamp when he was seven, math tests… Jounouchi tried to urge Seth in the right direction by thinking, 'Malik, Malik, Malik…' over and over again.

Finally. Malik, tanned skinned, blond hair, rage, loss, chains on Jounouchi's wrist, on Yugi's wrist, Yugi drowning…

"_What's going on? What just happened? Yugi?"_

"…_Jounouchi, you're my best friend. I love you."_

"_YUGI!"_

"_Mirror Spirit! Aim the meteor at ME—"_

"That's enough," Jounouchi said and physically pushed Seth back a step, breaking his connection with Jounouchi's inner thoughts. "See? Malik. Didn't I tell you?"

"You have met Yugi before?" Seth asked.

"Yugi?" Jounouchi repeated. He thought Seth wanted to know about Malik. "Are you kidding? He's my best friend. He's—"

Then his slow brain finally clicked.

"Wait," Jounouchi jumped up—too fast because his brain was spinning again. "_You_ know Yugi?"

Seth's mouth remained shut.

Jounouchi rushed forward, grabbing Seth's fancy priest robes. "You know Yugi? Is he here? Where is he? I need to see him!"

"What is Yugi?" Seth demanded, raising his voice and yet the same cool expression as ever.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jounouchi gaped.

Seth shoved Jounouchi's hands off his robes. "What is Yugi's relationship to the Pharaoh?"

Jounouchi was caught off guard. "The Pharaoh? You mean mou hitori no Yugi?"

Seth's eyes dilated. "The _other_ Yugi? Who is that?"

Jounouchi knew something was up. He shouldn't say anymore, he'd probably said too much already. "No. I'm not saying anything else until I see Yugi." Was Yugi here in Egypt? Was he somewhere in this dungeon too? So Jounouchi wasn't alone! His friends were somewhere in Egypt as well!

In a flash the axe head of the Rod was at Jounouchi's throat. "You will tell me everything you know."

Jounouchi barred his teeth. "Sorry. Can't help you."

The axe-like appendages on the Rod were digging into Jounouchi's neck. "I can take the information by force, if you wish."

"You'll have to tear it from my brain," Jounouchi answered.

He didn't actually think Seth would follow through on his threat, Kaiba never would have.

The Rod flashed hot before the blond could react. Pain from his injures connected and amplified the fire in his brain. This was not good. Seth was plunging his way through Jounouchi's mind now: dueling cards, Jounouchi stealing the final piece of Yugi's Sennen Puzzle, Yugi diving off the Duelist Kingdom cruise boat to rescue him, Yugi glowing about to transform into…

_No!_ Jounouchi had to do _something_ to protect Yugi! He had to find something so powerful that the priest would get distracted…

"_Do you mean to be so distracting?"_

Breath left Jounouchi's lungs. 'Oh shit—Not that not that not that—'

But immediately, even as he tried not to think of _that_,his brain wrenched _it_ to the surface—

"_What's the deal, Kaiba? Did I embarrass you in front of your business associates? What about that chick who's been throwing herself at you all night? You usually go for the stanky type?"_

"_You are infuriating." Kaiba has rough hands. "Must you ruin everything you touch, idiot?"_

"_Why did you even invite me here?"_

"_Why did you come?" _

_I choke. "I asked you first!"_

"_You're Yugi's friend—"_

"_Bullshit! Kaiba, you got the King of Games out there with your fancy businessmen. You didn't need me here! You said it yourself, I'm a second-rate duelist, dumb-brained, imbecile—"_

"_Why did you come?" Kaiba's hands grip my arms with monster strength. _

"_Cause you invited me!" I scream._

_Choke. _

_Kaiba's hands… Kaiba coming closer with his smelly hair and his closed eyes…_

"… _what are you doing?"_

"_Jounouchi." He says my name. "Don't go with Yugi to the museum. It's not safe…"_

_He says my name. "…Jounouchi…"_

With a shock, Jounouchi managed to bring himself back to life. For the second time in his life, the blond found himself ripping the influence of the Sennen Rod out of his bruised consciousness. A painful snap, and the real world was hurled back in Jounouchi's face.

Priest Seth staggered backwards, barely keeping his footing. His blue eyes wide.

Jounouchi's lungs pumped air back into his lungs. "Those are—_my_ memories—bastard." If he had had any strength he would have dashed for the open door of the cell. But where would he go? How'd he get out anyway?

Seth pulled himself off the floor, even more fixated on his prisoner than before. "So… that is a Kaiba."

Heat jumped through Jounouchi's body. God, that had been one of his most embarrassing memories. Not even Yugi knew what happened with Kaiba the night before Jounouchi, Bakura, and the others had gone with Yugi to the museum to bring the Sennen Items to the stone tablet.

Seth grinned as though he could see right into Jounouchi's humiliation. "Thank you, Jounouchi. This session has been quite… illuminating." And he stepped out of the cell, locking the door with a mere movement of his Item.

And as the egotistical priest made his exit, still chuckling, Jounouchi snarled, "Go to _hell_."

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Ryou was so cute. Seriously. With his fluffy hair and his round face… Malik could squeeze the guy all day long. Ryou was nice. But Malik didn't want nice! Ryou was great but he was someone to look after, someone to care for. Malik wanted to be taken care of. Malik wanted to be adored! Malik loved Ryou, yes, but he wasn't in crazy _uncontrollable_ love.

Malik craved wildness. Perhaps because his childhood had been so strict, trapped underground for the first eleven years of his life. Yeah… that probably had something to do with it.

And Malik needed someone who could stand up to his insane other personality, someone who wouldn't be intimidated when Malik went a little homicidal every once in a while.

Someone like the King of Thieves.

He was strong, _hot_, and far more passionate than Ring-Bakura could ever hope to be. Yes, Malik had found his soul-mate.

Now if only Thief-Bakura would realize Malik was his soul-mate too.

Ryou twitched in his sleep.

Malik grinned. The least he could do for this sleepy, confused boy was to offer him a shoulder, a dangerous shoulder that could transform into a monster at any second, but a shoulder nonetheless. He had gone through so much drama that day with Ring-Bakura being all solid and Thief-Bakura being all molest-y. Ryou had been so asleep, that he hadn't even stirred when Ring-Bakura blew out a hole in the shack wall while punishing Thief-Bakura from touching his Yadonushi…

Speaking of which, the two same Bakuras, who had disappeared to take their fight outside a while ago, were making their way back to the shelter. Malik could hear their bickering growing closer.

Malik wiggled his shoulder. "Hey, Ryou-kun? Wake-y wake-y."

Ryou popped up out of his dreaming, dazed. "Oh. Um, what's going on?" The boy asked, rubbing his dry eyes.

"The Bakuras are about to return," Malik said

Ryou blinked. The moment the two white-haired thieves burst into the shack, Ryou's back straightened like a spring. Eyes stuck on Ring-Bakura the second he entered the room.

"…do you even _need_ Pale-Face to show yourself?" Thief-Bakura snarled, gesturing harshly to Ryou.

Ring-Bakura did not look over to Malik or his ex-host. Clever, clever guy, playing so cool. "It doesn't concern you. Collecting the other Sennen Items, however—"

"Yes, yes." Thief-Bakura dropped into a wooden chair on the opposite side of the room from Ring-Bakrua, kicking up his feet on a clay pot. "Just tell me where to go, future-self. Otherwise, I won't move."

"Hey," Malik nudged Ryou. He had just got a _brilliant_ idea. "You want to piss off both Bakuras at once?"

Ring-Bakura crossed his arms over his chest. "The next attack will be tonight."

"No, not really," Ryou said to Malik. Being the smart boy that he was, he knew Malik was up to something devilish.

"Tonight?" Thief-Bakura scratched his nose. "Really? Does it have to be? After you chasing me all day, I don't feel much like traveling…"

Malik leaned into Ryou. "Just wait for the perfect opportunity."

Ryou frowned. "I don't want to make them _more_ angry…"

"What a lazy insect you've become, thief," Ring-Bakura growled, disgusted. "Have you forgotten about why you're collecting the Items? Has the memory really slipped from your mind?"

Thief-Bakura's face turned dark. "Shut it, phantom."

"Have you forgotten your _legacy_, the one the Pharaoh made for you? Are you going to let yourself be distracted from your mission of—"

The clay pot was kicked across the room and smashed in Past-Bakura's fury to get to his feet. "Don't test me, freak spirit. I know what you're—"

"Hey boys," Malik cooed, lacing his right hand into Ryou's thick hair.

The Bakuras were mildly distracted.

Malik grinned. "Watch this."

He tugged Ryou's head forward and snagged the innocent boy's mouth in a kiss.

The resulting outcry met Malik's expectations perfectly.

Ryou was ripped out of his arms and same moment a strong hand smacked Malik's head to the floor, black stars exploding into Malik's vision.

"What—the hell was that, slut?" Thief-Bakura snapped, holding Malik's skull to the dirt floor.

"You didn't like it?" Malik grunted, pulling his jaw from the floor.

Thief-Bakura was not impressed. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about turning you on," Malik answered. "Did it work, Thief-sama?"

It had, Malik could tell. "Shut it."

Because of Malik's brilliant plan, Ryou had now found himself in the arms of his dark counterpart. His round face was full of color now as he stared at the spirit of the Ring, his rescuer. He didn't seem to mind the pale arm wrapped around his waist either. It was odd since the two looked so similar, from the neck down they were practically identical, except for the Sennen Ring that hung only around Ryou's neck.

"Stop fooling around, Malik," Ring-Bakura growled. For once both Bakuras were in complete agreement.

Malik spat the loose dirt from his mouth. "Why don't you take your own advice? You know, right now everyone in this house has kissed Ryou-kun except you."

Ryou's face burst into a new wave of color, but he didn't move away from the arms that were pressing him into Ring-Bakura's side. Neither did the Bakura let his ex-host go.

The Thief King snarled. "We have _other_ concerns at the moment."

Malik shook off Past-Bakura's hand, peeling his face from the floor. "Good. Then let's stop arguing and get on with the Item-napping."

"We should get going if we're going to make it by nightfall," Ring-Bakura announced.

"We?" Past-Bakura repeated scathingly. "You're going to accompany me this time?"

"Get the manacles for Malik, thief," Ring-Bakura continued without losing a beat. "He needs to get to the city sane." How did Ring Bakura know that the Thief King had manacles? Thief-Bakura's frown seemed to indicate that he was wondering the same thing.

"I don't need assistance," Past-Bakura argued. "Certainly not from Malik."

Ring-Bakura met the Thief King's stare. "We're _all_ going tonight."

"But Ryou-kun's not going, right? _Right_, Bakura?" Malik asked.

Ryou blinked. His eyes could not get any wider. "Am I?"

Ring-Bakura's expression was unreadable as he and his ex-host looked to each other. "You will."

"You remember this?" Ryou tensed, though he had not let go of Ring-Bakura's hand…

"Yes." It seemed like such an immature thing for Ring-Bakura to do, charm his ex-host with the touch of his hand. Poor Ryou never stood a chance.

"Are you crazy?" Malik cried. "You're only putting him in danger, Bakura!"

"He's going," Ring-Bakura said, "Because he is the only one who can carry this." He reached forward and touched and Ring on Ryou's chest. "Where it goes, I go."

Ryou looked down at his pendant, hypnotized.

"And this." The spirit reached for a bundle of rags on the floor and gave it to his ex-host.

Still dazed, Ryou let the rags fall aside, revealing Malik's Sennen Rod.

Even at the sight of it, Malik's insides drummed.

"Hid that a little close to me, didn't you?" he remarked.

Ryou's pale fingers looked unhealthy next to the gold of the Rod. "I shouldn't be holding this."

"Yes," Ring-Bakura agreed. "But no one else can at the moment."

"I can," Thief-Bakura volunteered.

Ring-Bakura ignored him. "You will give this to Malik when the time is right."

Ryou swallowed but nodded.

"Thief, I believe I requested manacles."

The Thief King grumbled but pulled out a pair from the next room.

"And what do you use those for, _hm_?" Malik pondered wickedly.

The Thief King answered with a glower. And as he locked Malik into the metal gauntlets connected by an iron chain, he growled, "Don't get any ideas."

Malik was so pleased with this soul-mate. "Too late."

"I would be more receptive to your invitations if you didn't puke when I touch you."

Malik pouted. "You know why now."

"Doesn't change a thing," Past-Bakura growled.

"Get moving," Ring-Bakura, arm secure around Ryou, barked, moving towards the door.

Malik grinned. "Guess we'll just have to keep each other company, with Ryou-kun and Bakura being all snuggly. Aren't they just doll?"

Thief-Bakura stalked after Ryou and the spirit of the Ring, face unmistakably gloomy. "Shut it."

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Yugi sat in his soul-room. Rolling his thumbs in his lap as he waited for any sign from the outside world. What would the first meeting between his other self and Pharaoh be like? Would they fight? Would they hurt each other? No, he had to give the two of them privacy. It was only fair. That didn't stop the walls of Yugi's soul-room from turning slightly greenish in color from his anxiety.

When he couldn't take the wait any longer, Yugi got to his feet and approached the door to the soul-hallway outside. There was no sign of his other self, not even a passing thought.

Yugi voiced meekly to the ceiling of the hallway. /Mou hitori no boku?/

'It's ok,' his darker half answered and appeared before Yugi in the soul-hallway. He even looked in good spirits.

/How'd it go?/ Yugi asked, stepping out of his soul-room. /You guys didn't hurt each other, did you? You've been out there a long time…/

'We talked for a while,' the spirit of the Puzzle answered, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

/About what?/ Yugi asked, very curious.

'About you.'

Yugi's breath caught in his throat. /What did you guys say about me?/

'That's between us, aibou,' his darker half said, lifting his hand as though to ruffle his hair. 'If you really want to know, ask him.'

Yugi pouted and swatted the hand away. Anyway, there was no real touching in the soul-rooms. /I will./ And Yugi turned, about to jump into the conscious body…

When the spirit of the Puzzle got his arms around Yugi's waist, holding him back.

/Mou hitori no boku?/

'Sorry,' the spirit apologized. He was holding Yugi so close that, if they had had physical bodies, Yugi could have felt his heartbeat in his chest. 'I am _so_ happy I have you, aibou.'

Heat sprang up in Yugi's face. What was this about? /M-me too./

And with that Yugi floated up to consciousness to meet the Pharaoh's inquisitive stare. He was impatient as always. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble," the King of Egypt pronounced, brow tense, "Could you two perhaps tell me before you are about to… switch? If that is the proper word."

Yugi was still feeling the heat from his goodbye with his darker half. "Oh sorry…" Then the boy noticed there was a board game in front of him. All the black pieces were on the floor next to him and all but one of the white pieces were on the floor next to the Pharaoh. It game must have already been over. "Were you guys playing games?" Yugi asked suspiciously.

"We did," The Pharaoh admitted, arms crossed over his chest.

As Yugi glanced around the room he spotted several more games, though Yugi didn't recognize any of them, except for the Senet board to his left. He had often played Senet with Bakura at the game shop. "How many games did you guys play?"

"Eight."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Wow. Who won?" Though he thought he could guess from the look on the Pharaoh's face.

"Apparently my strategy grows with age," the Pharaoh commented.

Yugi was surprised. "How many games did you lose?"

The Pharaoh frowned. "It matters not."

By the Pharaoh's attitude, Yugi guessed, "All of them…?"

The Pharaoh stood up. Yugi had been right. "May I remind you that I have not played these juvenile games since I was a _child_."

"I bet you've never lost a game before," Yugi said confidently.

The Pharaoh turned away from his guest. "Not till this moment, no."

"What did you two talk about?" Yugi asked, changing tactics.

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow at him. "Surely, Yugi, you cannot expect me to divulge in such private matters between me and my future self?"

"Why not?"

"Because, little one, it was not for your ears."

Yugi hesitated. He had been called "little one" by his darker half but that had been a long time ago, back when they were first starting to get to know each other and the spirit had yet to discover his favorite nick-name for his lighter half, "aibou." But there was no way his other half would have told the Pharaoh that.

Getting himself back on topic, Yugi pressed lightly, "Was it about me?"

The Pharaoh revealed the answer in his eyes. "I suppose _he_ told you, did he?"

Yugi was unprepared for the blushed that washed over his cheeks. "He said something like that."

"Since he's so open, ask him," the Pharaoh snapped.

"He won't say anything else," Yugi admitted.

"You are incessant, aren't you?" the Pharaoh grumbled, stalking the back wall of his royal chambers as though purposely putting distance between him and Yugi.

Yugi sighed and stood up. "Well, I'm glad you guys didn't tear each other apart."

"How could I?" The Pharaoh had the sulky expression of a child. "He is my soul. I don't know whether to feel anger or pity."

"Pity? What's wrong with him?"

The Pharaoh twitched. "Nothing. Isn't that just the problem?" the king grumbled, covering his tracks.

The King of Egypt was saved from more of Yugi's questions when a tap came from the doorway. Yugi grudgingly shut his mouth.

"Come in," the Pharaoh called, without looking who was there.

Reflectively, Yugi ducked behind some nearby curtains, then realized that his face had been exposed to the Pharaoh's entire court, and there was no reason to hide his face anymore.

Four bare-chested men entered the royal chambers, two supporting a bucket of steaming water in each hand, two carrying a large metal basin between them. The servants' eyes jumped to Yugi, the moment he stepped away from the protection of the curtain. Yugi swallowed, his identity was no doubt the talk of the palace. Of course they would want a look. But did they have to come now of all the times?

"Ah." The Pharaoh stood. Tension fell from his shoulders and his mood seemed to lightened. "Yes, I did send for you." He flicked his hand, bidding them to enter.

As the servants brought their buckets to the back of the room, Yugi dodged their stares moving quickly to the Pharaoh.

"It was to be a surprise," the Pharaoh explained. "Before all this… business, of course. You say you are uncomfortable with females washing you. So I fixed the problem."

"Oh," Yugi said, hoping he sounded agreeable. The replacement of male servants didn't exactly solve anything. He didn't want to be washed by anyone.

Unfortunately the Pharaoh had gotten to know Yugi too well by now. His royal face fell. "You're not pleased."

"I… No, it's nice," Yugi tried.

"_Yugi_." And the Pharaoh pulled Yugi to face him, hand on the nape of the boy's neck. The touch sent shivers racing down Yugi's vertebrae. "I won't have you smelling like a commoner."

"But I am common," Yugi pointed out.

"You're not common to me." The hand on his neck moved down to his back as the Pharaoh coaxed Yugi forward. "You are too important."

Yugi searched his eyes. He was surprised that the Pharaoh had brushed off the first meeting with his future soul so easily. The sour attitude of a few minutes ago had vanished and now the King was his usual confident, flirtatious self. No, the Pharaoh always teased. It didn't necessarily mean anything. He knew now that Yugi had his darker half, that they were in… that they were bonded to each other. Surely he had made that connection.

Perhaps this change in attitude was a sign that the King had grown a little more mature since Yugi had first met him.

"Do they not take baths in your time?" the Pharaoh asked when Yugi had said nothing.

"Of course," Yugi admitted, watching as he saw the servants pull out a large basin and fill it with water. The steam caught Yugi's nose, thick with perfume. Bright petals swirled about on the surface of the water. Actually, Yugi longed for a nice long shower and a soak in a tub, but the idea of servants helping him…

"Good, then tonight we shall relax," the Pharaoh said, very pleased. And Yugi couldn't help but notice the King's hand was still resting on his back.

Two of the male servants left the basin and moved to their King, and the Pharaoh, stepping away from Yugi, allowed them to remove his ornaments and jewelry. Yugi's stomach squeezed, and he looked away. Was he supposed to bathe with the Pharaoh? Embarrassing heat flooded Yugi's face at the thought of it. But this couldn't be too different from the public baths in Japan, why was he so freaked out?

Yugi jumped when one of the servants advanced toward him, reaching for his clothing. "Oh no, really. I can manage," he insisted, fumbling on his Egyptian. The servant retreated, still fixated on Yugi's face.

And he did not fail to notice the Pharaoh's sly grin at his hesitation.

Seeing no way of escaping this without rejecting the Pharaoh's gift outright, Yugi lowered his eyes and tentatively began to remove the small amount of ornaments the Pharaoh had persuaded him to wear.

When only Yugi's schenti remained about his waist, he couldn't help but look up. The Pharaoh had a plain wrap covering everything from his hips to his upper leg and his slender frame leaned up so that he could speak in the closest servant's ear. It was such an intimate scene, Yugi had to look away again, pulse racing.

Burning with humiliation, Yugi froze where he was, not sure what to do. He looked longingly at the Puzzle which gleamed a few feet away, wanting to cry out to the spirit, but he knew his other half would only get even more furious at the Pharaoh, and they had only just met…

The warm touch of a hand on Yugi's shoulder made the boy jump, his heart stuck in his throat. He was met with the Pharaoh's kind face.

"Do not trouble yourself. I have sent them away," the Pharaoh said.

Indeed, he had, as Yugi looked, he saw the last servant exit the royal chambers with empty buckets.

Yugi sighed, a bit too loudly. The Pharaoh straightened up with a smile.

"Sorry," Yugi said. "I just… it's so strange… there aren't many servants in my time."

"No need to explain, little one," the Pharaoh said. "I am only glad that I know you well enough to understand what is troubling you." He took a fresh cloth and offered it to Yugi. "For your decency. I know nakedness still makes you uncomfortable."

'It shouldn't,' Yugi thought honestly. But he was grateful to take the cloth and, when the Pharaoh turned away, Yugi tied it about himself and removed the schenti.

"Shall we?" the Pharaoh offered Yugi a hand.

Together? Yugi's heart sped up again. If it had been the day before, or even that morning Yugi would be suspicious that the Pharaoh was going to use this bath to get close to Yugi. But the boy shook this thought away. The Pharaoh was going out of his way to make Yugi comfortable. Things were different in ancient times, Yugi reminded himself. And the Pharaoh had already gone to so much trouble to make Yugi as comfortable as possible. Yugi didn't want to be any more of a bother.

So he breathed, took the Pharaoh's hand and, holding his breath, stepped into the warmth of the bath.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

On his third day in the prison, not long after Jounouchi's humiliating session with Not-Kaiba the Priest, the white-haired girl he had protected in town, woke up. She said nothing to the guard, it seemed as though she hadn't even noticed him. But she did recognized Jounouchi. She followed Jounouchi's limited motions within his cell as though fixated on him. Her eyes were such an intense blue… They were second only to the real Kaiba's.

When one of the two guards left to patrol other floors, she spoke.

"You…" she mouthed, sitting up in her bed. His arms were still littered with bruises from when she had been attacked.

"Yeah," Jounouchi grumbled. "Me."

The girl's eyes widened. "You speak Egyptian."

"Ah… not till recently," Jounouchi admitted, keeping his voice low so the other guard at the stairs couldn't hear them.

She didn't seem to mind that this didn't make sense. "Thank you. For protecting me."

"No prob," Jounouchi grunted. "Glad to help a fellow pale-skinned person. I wish I could have gotten there before they did most of the damage…"

The girl did not seem to notice her own injures. "They were only scared."

Of what? A foreigner? "No one has the right to beat up an innocent girl! It's not like you're exactly dangerous."

"Sometimes I can be," the girl said, blue eyes drifting.

Jounouchi laughed, because he thought it was a joke. When the girl did not react the same, Jounouchi shut his mouth. "So um… where are you from?"

The girl did not blink. Again, creepy. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't be from Egypt, right?"

She tilted her head. "Can you not be from Egypt?"

"Ah…" This girl was strange. "Well, I'm not from Egypt if that's what you mean."

The girl shook her graceful head. "No."

Jounouchi stared. "Huh?"

She gave him a little smile. "My name is Kisara."

"Jounouchi." He held out a hand.

She stared at it.

"Ok…" He took his hand back.

"Where are you from?"

Jounouchi scratched his head. "Um… Japan?"

But of course she had never heard of it. "You are far from home, aren't you?"

"Yeah." But how far? Would Jounouchi be able to get back? If Yugi was really here how many other of his friends were? Everyone who came to the museum? Honda, Anzu, Bakura, Yugi, and that Shadi guy. Were they all here with him?

Were they ok? Yugi seemed to be nearby. What if he was a prisoner too?

"I'm sure he'll come."

"What?" Jounouchi had been startled by her sudden words. "Who are you talking about?"

She smiled, crawling off her scrap of a bed towards the bars that separated Jounouchi's and her cells. "The one I'm going to save."

Jounouchi didn't know what to say.

"Is there someone you came here to save too?" she asked, hanging on the bars in front of her with her tiny white hands.

And the way she was smiling, so pure, it reminded Jounouchi shockingly of his little sister, Shizuka.

"I don't know yet," Jounouchi said honestly. "I thought I was just brought here by mistake."

She smiled. "Maybe you were. But maybe not."

That wasn't very reassuring. "Where are you from again?"

"I was born not far from here," Kisara answered and yet it felt like she was avoiding some very important detail.

Playing along, Jounouchi scooted up next to the bars too. "And who did you come to 'save'?"

_Bam!_

From the stairs came a crack and then what sounded like something heavy but soft falling down the stairs. Like an unconscious guard…

The guard by the ascending stairs jumped to attention. The man and Jounouchi, were wondering the same thing: What was happening? Prisoners breaking out?

Jounouchi jumped when Kisara suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Good luck," she said, but there was a shade in her eyes that was… not as carefree as before.

"What are you talking about?" Jounouchi argued, squeezing her hand too. "I'm not going anywhere—"

_Bam! _

This time the locked door to the stairs leapt off its hinges and slammed into the floor.

Then someone had broken in.

The guard, who had been thrown backwards when the door had exploded, got back to his feet and rushed to defend the stairs, running right past Jounouchi's cell…

The blond took his only opportunity, skidded to the cell door, flung out an arm and seized the guard's ankle. The guard fell flat on his face just as…

Kaiba Seto strode through the blasted door.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

To all you just dropped your jaws on your fritoes-encrusted floors: Of freaking course Kaiba's going to be in this. You crazies.

WARNING! A SLIGHTLY LESS EDUCATED JOKE:

Pharaoh: And just whom am I meeting?

Yami Yugi: You mean, "and just _who_ am I meeting?"

Pharaoh: No, "who" is the direct object.

Yami Yugi: Not in this case, mine friend.

Pharaoh: *hesitates* _My_ friend. And I'm not your friend. And it _is_ a direct object. Because you could say "I am meeting whom?"

Yami Yugi: Doesn't matter. There are no pronouns in Japanese.

Pharaoh: Are we speaking Japanese or Egyptian now?

Yami Yugi: Idk, the author didn't specify.

Pharaoh: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

Yami Yugi: Hey! Watch your language!

And this is what some call a knee-slapper! (not that I should be talking about proper English, because, as you wonderful readers know by now, I can't catch my own mistakes.)

Oh Jounouchi, you're so... so... dumb.

And FINALLY, thank you for your patience. I'm getting back on the wagon and I guarantee you, (_**this**_ time) from now on, **I **_**WILL**_** UPDATE EVERY MONTH**. I promise you guys. Yeah, every author says that and then they apparate off the planet or have a baby or something, idk. But I will try with 70% of my will power. (the other 30% goes to sleeping)

**DON'T FORGET TO**** REVIEW! **

**DO****! LIKE MOUNTAIN DEW! **

**REVIEW!**


	11. Assault on the Palace!

The farther we go in the manga, the more exclamation points appear at the end of chapter titles.

Seriously.

Examples: "The Thief Bakura lives!" "The Power that cuts through the darkness!" "Ambush! Assault!"

I get it. It's exciting.

Love you guys.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 11: Assault on the Palace!**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

The bath was heavenly. The water warm, in perfect contrast to the cool night of the desert. So many different smells drifted up from the water that Yugi could taste them in his mouth. Flower petals and herbs decorated the surface, and the water itself was mixed with some other kind of perfume that made the bath opaque. Yugi stretched out so that his head was the only part of him that remained above the water.

"Are you enjoying it?" the Pharaoh asked. Yugi hadn't even noticed him enter the tub.

Yugi smiled. "It's greeeeat." He sunk in deeper, so that the water splashed up to his earlobes. How long had it been since he had been _clean_?

The Pharaoh chuckled, washing the scented water up his arms. "I am glad."

Yugi let his body drift in the water, willing it absorb all the scents. The water was thick, Yugi could have just as easily been bathing in honey or cream.

"It has been a while for me as well," the Pharaoh admitted. "I've been too distracted as of late to even consider relaxation."

In the midst of his bliss, Yugi felt the slightest pang in his chest. He pulled himself up, so that his shoulders were out of the water. "I never meant to get in the way."

"Oh, Yugi." The Pharaoh shushed, splashing water on his face. The water clung to his nose and chin as he grinned at the boy with no short of cunning. "I've been praying to the gods for a distraction like you for a long time."

'He doesn't seem angry that I kept my other half a secret at all,' Yugi realized. 'Perhaps the two of them really got along."

The flicker golden glow from lamps reflected off the water, scattering light on the Pharaoh's arms and shoulders, following the water that trickling down his copper skin.

Yugi noticed he was staring only when the Pharaoh's eye caught him and then the boy looked very obviously away. Steam from the water waffled his senses, the heat seeping into his limbs, slowing him. This bath was perhaps too good.

"Forgive me," the Pharaoh said, "But since the servants have been sent away…" He reached over the edge of the tub, his rich-colored torso lifting up out of the water. Yugi allowed himself only the briefest of looks, so that he wouldn't be noticed. The Pharaoh returned with a decorated brush in hand. "May you wash my back?"

It was a very logical reason. A tremor ran up Yugi's chest that must have been caused by the strange Egyptian spices in the water. Yugi nodded.

Kneeling, so that his shoulders could barely be seen above the surface, Yugi inched his way across the tub and took the brush, careful not to touch the Pharaoh's fingers as he did so. The Pharaoh turned, offering Yugi his naked back.

Yugi was very conscious of how much space there was between them, he tried to keep them a good foot apart at all times. Only then could he allow his hands to meet the Pharaoh's smooth skin, warmer than the bath.

"You're very quiet," the Pharaoh observed.

Yugi's clumsy hands fumbled with the brush, making circles around the King's shoulder blades.

"Why is that?" The vibrations of these words echoed in Yugi's fingertips.

Yugi bit his bottom lip. It tasted like the perfume-laden air. "Can't think of anything to say."

'Can't think,' Yugi told himself. He didn't know why, but something in him felt clenched. His breath shortened by a strange sense of anticipation.

"Are you thinking about your other soul?" the King asked. There was no sign of humor in his voice anymore.

"No. Not right now," Yugi answered, because it was the truth. The only thing on his mind was the water, and scent of spices, the expanse of skin before him.

That triggered some serious silence.

"Here."

Now. The Pharaoh was turning around…

The heat of the bath had sunk into Yugi's brain, making His vision fuzzy.

And the King of Egypt put his hand, hot from the bath as well, on Yugi's. Water dripped between Yugi's fingers. "I'll wash yours."

Yugi released the brush, and found his hand grew cool without it. Now the Pharaoh took Yugi's shoulders and turned him around. Now the Pharaoh had Yugi under his hands. The heat was in Yugi's chest. He was alive with nerves. Everything felt fuzzy and out of touch, as though he had been lulled into a dream.

Yugi felt no need to move away from those warm hands as they roamed about his skin. Yugi's insides were getting hot, like he was cooking. The Pharaoh's hands traveled up to Yugi's shoulders, massaging them, then drifted down Yugi's spine…

'What are we doing?' But the question was frail and soon drifted out of Yugi's mind.

There was a mouth at his ear, a hot mouth. "Who are you thinking about now?"

Yugi curled his hands around his knees. What was he thinking about?

There. Under the water, the Pharaoh's hands were on his waist, then snaked around Yugi's stomach, wrapping him in an embrace. "Are you thinking about me?"

Yugi trembled. The Pharaoh was too close. What was he going to do this time? Push the Pharaoh away? "A little…"

The Pharaoh chuckled. "You are nervous, little one." His hands slid up Yugi's chest, up his ribs… "What do you think is going to happen now?"

Yugi didn't know. All he knew was hot, roasting.

The Pharaoh mouth moved to his neck, and Yuig's skin prickled. "Do you desire this?"

Yugi couldn't answer. How could he think when the Pharaoh's lips brushed him… kissed his neck. Yugi gasped, a hand over his mouth to smother the sound. As though he could still hide this…

The Pharaoh's mouth, hot, teeth nibbling Yugi's cares away, worked its way up his neck. Yugi found himself leaning back to accept it, encourage it…

Hands on Yugi's hips spun him, in a slosh of water, his back met the edge of the basin. When he opened his eyes, Yugi was caught by the Pharaoh's haunting gaze. He was frozen with anticipation.

"Do you want this?" the Pharaoh asked, but he was drawing closer as though he already had an answer.

Yugi would not answer. It would be too late in a moment anyway.

They were so close, Yugi's hand had somehow grabbed onto the Pharaoh's elbows. To push away? Pull in?

There were only a few inches between their mouths.

"You look like you've been waiting for this," the Pharaoh observed.

Yugi straightened, as though about to answer, but found all words smothered as their mouths interlocked.

Back against the tub wall, hands in the Pharaoh's hair, nails at his scalp. The Pharaoh had both hands on Yugi's neck. Their mouths were hot and smooth and Yugi's lip caught in the Pharaoh's teeth. Yugi nibbled one of the Pharaoh's back. They were breathing through kisses, between the breaks in mouths. Yugi couldn't be pulled away for anything at that moment. Heat racing, this felt _good_. The Pharaoh's hands danced down Yugi chest, down his stomach…

Their bodies pulled together, water washed up Yugi's neck, over his shoulders. Smoothness of the Pharaoh's skin, everything warm and slippery, and good. The Pharaoh's legs brushing his, and in the midst of their splashes, Yugi felt his hips touch the Pharaoh's.

What was Yugi prepared to feel?

It was a shock that broke through their deep kiss. The taste of the water on the Pharaoh's mouth was suddenly oily, burnt, grassy. The heat of the water turned feverish, slightly ill. Panic had set in.

"What is it?" the Pharaoh asked, face still so close that his lips brushed Yugi's as he spoke. "Little one, are you—?"

Yugi gasped. "I can't—!"

The Pharaoh drew away. "You want to stop?"

Yugi pulled his hands from the Pharaoh's head, shaking off the Pharaoh's grasp. His whole body was shivering in the intense temperature of the bath. He felt boiled. It was almost too easy for Yugi to grab the edge of the tub and stumble out, washing water all over the floor of the royal chamber. A night breeze chilled him, sobering his senses, as Yugi walked several more paces away from the tub, not daring to look back.

Silence stretched, only interrupted by the water that continued to rock against the sides of the tub from Yugi's frantic escape. He couldn't stop shaking. How ridiculous was it that there had ever been a moment in history without towels! Did people just walk around wet all the time? It didn't make sense! What was Yugi to do now? The Pharaoh surely hated him and he had nowhere else to go in the entire palace…

More silence. Yugi could do nothing about tremble.

Water splashed behind him. The Pharaoh must have been exiting the tub.

A cloth fell about Yugi's shoulders.

"Dry yourself." The Pharaoh's tone was thin.

Yugi wrapped the garment about himself tightly. Not yet able to look back.

Guilt, heavy in Yugi's gut, made him sick, made his feet cold. How many times had Yugi claimed to love his other half? And how did Yugi treat him now?

Yugi turned, eyes searched and found the Puzzle. He grabbed it and held the cold metal against his chest. Crying into his mind, 'Mou hitori no boku!'

/I'm here,/ the spirit responded, calm as always.

Yugi dived into the subconscious, dashed into the soul-hallway and jumped into his darker half's arms, burying himself in them.

The spirit accepted him kindly. /What happened?/

Yugi spoke not with words but shoved the memories at him. The water, the heat, the scents, the smoothness of washed skin…

'I don't—I don't… I'm sorry, mou hitori no boku! I don't know why I did it!"

But even the spirit's usual comfort seemed different. Or had it always been this light, this cool? Nothing like the warmth that had consumed Yugi before.

His other half bent down so they could face each other. His expression somber. /I think you need to talk to the Pharaoh./

Yugi gazed at his darker half. 'What do you mean?'

The Pharaoh gave a smile but it was a strange one. Subdued. Sad? /I think there is something he still wants you to understand. Talk to him./ And then, strangest of all, the spirit leaned in and, with the lightest of metaphysical touches, kissed Yugi on the cheek. /Trust him, ok?/

'What's going on?' Yugi cried, his heart jumped in a bad direction. He stepped back. That kiss… It was so chaste, almost… platonic. Didn't the spirit know how Yugi felt? 'What did you two do say about me? What did you talk about?'

"_Yugi?"_

With the same too gentle smile, the spirit looked up. /The Pharaoh's calling you./

Anger sparked at this cool attitude, why was the spirit giving Yugi up so easily? Why was he acting like they weren't in love anymore! Yugi launched himself back into the conscious body. What was going on?

On return to the real world, Yugi found the Pharaoh standing before him in fresh linen clothes. He must have gotten changed while Yugi was in the subconscious.

"What's going on?" Yugi asked, ducking his head under the chain of the Puzzle. Even so Yugi had never felt more unprotected, even with the garment wrapped around his shoulders.

The Pharaoh stood steady enough, but there was something cold about his expression. "You never answered my questions. That was my mistake. I should have never pursued you without answers."

"Why are you two acting so strange?" Yugi asked, frustrated because he knew that he was missing something very, very important. "What did you say about me that I can't hear—?"

"Who were you kissing?" the Pharaoh demanded. "In that bath, who were you kissing?"

This only made Yugi more confused. "You were there…"

"That is not what I'm asking!" And his voice was enraged.

Yugi stepped back. The spirit of the Puzzle had never yelled at him, never raised his voice like this.

Before the King of Egypt spoke again, he breathed. "I am selfish," he said, calmer now. "As Pharaoh, well, you do not have to imagine, you have seen it. I get what I want. I am not used to people resisting me. Or using me."

Yugi recoiled.

"I am _not_ the spirit that lives in your Puzzle, Yugi," the Pharaoh said. "Yes, he did explain that he is, most likely, my soul confined in the object, however he is _not_ me." And as The Pharaoh stood before Yugi he seemed, for the first time, vulnerable.

Mou hitori no boku was never vulnerable.

"I am the Pharaoh of Egypt. I was born and raised in a palace with servants and customs your spirit no longer remembers. I am myself, my own. And I don't want you kissing me while thinking of _him_."

Yugi breathed, hands clutching his Puzzle.

"I am selfish," the Pharaoh repeated. "I am jealous. The Puzzle's spirit is not. For what I can see, he has ever limited emotions—"

"That's not true," Yugi voiced. But he shouldn't have said anything.

The Pharaoh's face fell. But he recovered quickly and continued. "He has grown with you, through all your trials. He has no memories of the troubles and glories of Egypt. But he has known you, for years. While I have had only a couple of days. We are not the same. Do you understand, Yugi?"

Yugi understood and he nodded. "I'm sorry."

The Pharaoh was still, his gaze, fallen to the side. And yet with all the pride that one would expect of a King. Grave and regal at the same time.

Yugi pulled at the garment tighter over his shoulders. "I can't have both of you."

"If you touch me, it must _me,_ and me alone," The Pharaoh repeated.

Yugi nodded again. "It's my fault. I guess I got… overwhelmed. I've never _felt_ a kiss before."

The Pharaoh said nothing.

Yugi knew now the extent of his naivety. And it left him feeling stupid and childish. 'You let me out without warning me.'

/It was your choice,/ the spirit answered, softly.

'But I love you! You know that! I love you so much I want to love you in every and _any_ way! I love you so much I forgot about the Pharaoh…' Yugi swallowed. 'I hurt him.'

/I had to let you choose,/ the spirit answered in apology. /It was only fair to give him a chance./

'But how could I choose anyone but you?' Yugi asked.

The spirit warmed in Yugi's mind. He was happy to hear this. Yugi was glad that he was, though it did not lessen the weight of his own guilt.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said to the King of Egypt. He would try his very best to be clear from now on. "I can't kiss you without thinking of him."

The Pharaoh was motionless. "I knew that already."

Yugi stood up. "But I love you too."

"But nothing that can measure up to your affection for him," the Pharaoh said, not looking at Yugi at all.

"No." Yugi felt it. The want to reach out to the Pharaoh, to hold him. But he could not do that anymore. "But I _do_ love you."

"I want more." The Pharaoh said, grimly. "No one has ever defied me like you, little one."

Yugi knew that. But he couldn't give any more.

Nothing else was said. The Pharaoh took a cloth from the ground, walked over to Yugi, and dried his hair. Yugi allowed it, trying not to linger on the memories of the Pharaoh's hands on his neck, his lips on Yugi's fingers…

The Pharaoh finished and, wrapping the linen around Yugi's shoulders, left a kiss, dry and cool, on the center of his forehead.

Yugi ached.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"Shouldn't we be moving?" Malik questioned, eyeing the crowd of criminals that were stalking the other tables of the Inn. They weren't used to so much gold lying, quite openly, in their presence. Their thief-instincts urged them to grab the unprotected loot. In this particular instance however, their instincts were likely to get them killed.

"Is there a rush?" Dorobo asked, tilting his eyes toward the spirit of the Ring.

Ryou looked for the answer in this darker half as well.

"Not at the moment." Bakura seemed perfectly relaxed.

"Aren't you nervous that I won't make my deadline?" the Thief King pressed, chewing half a goat leg as he spoke.

"You will meet your deadline," Bakura answered coolly, "Because I did. Whenever you decide to leave is when I did."

Dorobo ripped more flesh off the goat's bone with his teeth. "That's cheap."

"Until then," Malik was having a difficult time, picking up his mug in his manacles. "Can I get a refill?"

"No," Bakura said. "You'll need a clear head tonight Malik."

"What exactly are _we_ doing tonight?" Malik asked, moodily rolling his empty mug back and forth on the table.

"Some new players will be illegally joining the plot tonight," Bakura answered

Ryou's eyes went wide. So that's what it was.

"That Yugi kid?" Dorobo asked.

"Him and others."

"What others?" Malik asked. "Woah, you didn't tell me there was anyone else—" Then Malik stopped, as though he had just remembered something vital. "Oh… yeah."

Bakura ignored Malik's interruption. "We will occupy their attention while you go after your targets."

Dorobo caught the subtly of the instruction. "The Eye is not my only target?"

"How am I supposed to distract anyone in chains?" Then Malik paused and thought about his words. "You know, _besides_ the obvious."

"Your other personality," the spirit of the Ring clarified.

Malik gawked. "You're going to set _him_ loose on Yugi? Don't you think that's a little much? We're not trying to kill them."

"You're not?" Dorobo asked.

"No!" Malik cried. Then paused, eyeing the spirit of the Ring. "Right?"

Ryou held his breath.

"No one will die tonight," Bakura clarified.

Relief exploded in Ryou's gut. If the spirit of the Ring said so, it must be true.

Dorobo, however, was not pleased. "I'm not holding back for the sake of your consciences."

"Don't worry. You won't," Bakura said, again unconcerned.

Ryou swallowed. The Malik's Rod, which was wrapped in rags in his hold, was as menacing as ever. Its metal stung Ryou's palms. And soon Ryou would return this dangerous weapon over to Malik, releasing the _other_ Malik.

'Then,' Ryou thought, very conscious of the dangerous Item he was cradling in his arms. 'When Malik's other half is out, people are going to get hurt. Yugi might…' As much as Ryou tried not to think about it, the wellbeing of his friend did not leave his mind. What was going to happen tonight? But his darker half had said that no one would die… 'What am I going to have to do? I can't attack anyone, let alone Yugi…'

Ryou peered at Bakura, who was sitting next to him, not a foot away. The spirit of the Ring knew everything that was going to happen. Did he also know how Ryou was going to participate in this battle?

Malik, who was on his other side, seemed to sense Ryou's distress. He threw his bound, manacled arms around the boy's slim shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll look after you, you know, when I'm not psychotic."

But it was the spirit of the Ring's hand around Ryou's arm that was the more comforting, though the darker half said nothing to him since they had left the shack.

"Oi, kids."

Ryou hadn't even noticed the crowd forming around their group, criminal, drunk, faces leering towards their table. One particularly mean-looking thug with old knotted scars stretching the side of his mouth encroached upon them, with a nasty, unclean ax swinging from his hand.

"You all seem to have a lot of gold weighing you down. Maybe we can help."

Though Ryou enjoyed the spirit's hand on his arm and Malik's grinning face and even occasionally Dorobo's interesting comments, the boy wished he was anywhere else at that moment. Fear, not for his own wellbeing, but for the poor misguided brutes pulsed through Ryou's ears. He didn't want to see anyone die…

Malik sighed at this inconvenience. "Don't we have a schedule to keep?"

The spirit of the Ring put his hands over Ryou's eyes.

"Breathe," he instructed.

Though Ryou's sight was now blocked, he heard Dorobo's hissing threat.

"Want to die?"

Ryou took a gulp of air.

There was a _crunch_, then a wet _splat_ of fluids.

"Gross, Thief-sama," Malik scoffed.

The spirit's hands did not leave Ryou's eyes. But he did not tell Ryou to breathe again for now the room was full of the scent of freshly slaughtered meat.

Ryou's stomach heaved.

"Woah, woah," Malik touched Ryou's shoulder. "Let's get you out of here."

Ryou was led blindly out of the Inn, but not before stumbling over discarded fleshy pieces… or noticing how slippery the floor had become.

"He'll screw us all up," Dorobo snapped, somewhere behind Ryou. Back with the corpses… "You should never have brought a weakling here! I can handle things myself."

"Back off!" Malik snapped.

The spirit of the Ring kept his silence.

When Ryou felt the cool brush of the night breeze, his darker half took his hands away from his eyes.

He couldn't help it. When the group turned to leave, Ryou's eyes found the open door of the Inn… and did not fail to notice the wash of dark juice staining the walls.

Falling to his knees, Ryou threw up the remains of his stomach as Malik rubbed his back, and the spirit of the Ring held his long white hair away from his face.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Jounouchi's jaw dropped.

As though taking a massive golf swing, the CEO of Kaiba Corporation smashed the fallen guard's head with an iron pole.

The guard twitched with the blow and went very, very unconscious.

"Kaiba!" Something in Jounouchi's chest soared as he jumped to his feet. "_You_— How did you— You _sonofabitch_—"

In all of his majesty, Kaiba shook the door of Jounouchi's cell. "We don't have much time."

"For…" Kaiba was here. So Jounouchi wasn't alone. He wasn't alone!

"Escaping, idiot," Kaiba grumbled as he fiddled with the iron lock. "Damn." He pulled out a small bag and stuck it on top of the iron lock. "Get back, Jounouchi."

The blond nearly tripped over his own feet to get to the back wall.

Kaiba pulled a modern silver lighter from the inside of his coat and lit the top of the bag on fire. The cloth of the bag was a small burning coal for a few seconds then…

_Bam!_

It wasn't a huge explosion but it shook the lock so violently that it split. Kaiba seized the door, shook it and shook it, until the lock broke to the floor.

Jounouchi threw himself from his cell and tackled Kaiba, beautiful, beautiful sweet Kaiba! "You awesome bastard, you! Where the hell have you been, you know how long I've been here? Took your sweet time—"

"As _touching_ as this is," Kaiba commented, indicated how Jounouchi was kinda all over him.

Jounouchi burned with shame, when leapt away at once. "Ah…yeah, I—"

"We can't waist time." Kaiba grabbed Jounouchi's upper arm. "Let's get out of here."

As ready as Jounouchi to gallop off with Kaiba into the sunset… "Wait, she's coming too," Jounouchi said, grabbing Kisara's cell door and shaking it too. But the lock was stubborn. "Give me another of your bombs."

"I don't have anymore," Kaiba said, "That was my last one."

"_What_? You didn't think to make _more_?" Jounouchi cried.

Kaiba was not that patient. "I made five but I used them all breaking the doors to get down here."

"Well, that was stupid, Mr. CEO!"

Kaiba frowned. "I didn't know I would be saving you _and_ your girlfriend."

Jounouchi gaped. "Sh-she's not my—"

A white hand touched Jounouchi's arm. As Jounouchi turned he saw into Kisara's blue, blue eyes again. Sympathy swelled up in Jounouchi, just like when he was taking care of his sister. This was too weird.

Kisara squeezed his hand as he had squeezed hers only a moment ago. "Good luck," she said.

Jounouchi gulped. He reached through the bars and grabbed both her frail white hands. "I'll come back for you. I swear I will, okay?"

Kisara only smiled.

"Okay?" Jounouchi cried more urgently. "Just wait a bit—"

The other dungeon door that lead down to the lower levels shook, as though about to open.

Kaiba yanked Jounouchi away from Kisara's cell. "Idiot!" And pulling the blond all the way, got both of them out of the room and up the stairs before the guards from the lower floors could stop them.

"How'd you get here?" Jounouchi panted, "How the hell did_ I_ get here, come to think of it?"

"Later," Kaiba grunted. The path to the exit was littered with Kaiba's conquests, unconscious guards, broken down doors. Prisoners were screaming in Egyptian, begging to be let out too, but Jounouchi doubted Kaiba would stop. All the while rapid footsteps pursued them.

"Are you mad at me?" Jounouchi asked incredulous.

Kaiba checked around the staircase before continuing up, all stealthy like. How did he have the energy to move so controlled even now? Kaiba was impossible. "Is this really the time, Jounouchi?"

"You haven't called me Jounouchi since…" He swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Kaiba's eyes flashed on him for a second but it felt like forever. Jounouchi's breath caught in his throat. Those eyes looked so familiar…

Kaiba grunted, "Let's go." And he sped up the next set of stairs.

"You're mad at me," Jounouchi accused. "What did I do, pleeeease tell me?"

On the next level they were greeted by two guards, probably wandered down from the ground above after hearing Kaiba's bombs.

Without losing a beat, Kaiba smashed his iron weapon into the side of one of the guards heads. "You're hallucinating."

"Am not!" Jounouchi spat as he jumped the other guard and landed on the Egyptian's head with his fists. "God, you are so moody all the time!"

Kaiba's guard was grounded, but Jounouchi's guard repelled the blond with the wood of his spear, only to meet Kaiba's iron in the face. He went down as well.

Jounouchi frowned, as he swiped the fallen guard's spear. "I totally had him!"

"We don't have time for this," Kaiba growled and shoved Jounouchi up the stairs again.

"I've seen you all of three seconds and I've already annoyed you," Jounouchi grumbled. This staircase was longer, perhaps it was the last one.

"Is there ever a time when you stop talking?" Kaiba hissed through his harsh breathing.

Jounouchi spun around, right in the middle of the stairway, blocking the exit. He didn't care if a guard came down and stabbed him in the back. He didn't care if they were losing precious seconds for escape. Kaiba pissed him off and Jounouchi was so full of rage he couldn't help it. "Why'd you even come to get me?" the blond asked.

"Jounouchi…" Kaiba was not happy. "This is _not_ a good time."

"I don't care," Jounouchi growled. "I want to know…" But the blond choked, like he always did when he attempted to confront Kaiba. "Why do you keep finding me? _How_ do you keep finding me?"

"Tracking device," Kaiba answered.

Jounouchi huffed. "Yeah, sure mister-CEO-amazing-techno-man."

Tired, irritated, Kaiba closed in on the blond. Jounouchi almost backed away, but his body didn't move fast enough, and Kaiba was only one step down from him on the stairs which made their faces on the same level. And Kaiba's hand reached forward, passed Jounouchi's hip… to Jounouchi's pants…

"Oi!" Jounouchi cried. Was the great and powerful Kaiba Seto trying to _cop a feel_? Of all times, _now_? If it they had been anywhere else, he could have just asked...

Kaiba slipped a finger into Jounouchi's pants pocket, and as quick as lightening so that the blond didn't have a chance to run away, he pulled it back out.

And held a small circular piece of flashing technology to Jounouchi's eye.

"Tracking device," Kaiba repeated with a smirk.

Jounouchi gaped. "When did you put that… _there_?" The only time he could have gotten close enough was when… the night before they had gone to the museum, Kaiba had invited them to a fancy Duel Monsters promotional party. And then he had cornered Jounouchi into a side room…

"_Do you have to be so distracting?"_

That night, Kaiba had kissed him.

Perhaps that had been when he had put the tracking device in his pocket? Perhaps that was only reason Kaiba had…

"How did you know I would wear these pants to the museum?" Jounouchi wondered.

The great Kaiba never faltered. "You're predictable," he answered, vaguely.

Jounouchi kept his mouth shut.

"I told you not to go to the museum. You always get yourself into the most unnecessary situations, idiot," Kaiba said, as though tracking devices were a perfectly natural solution.

"Wha—Look who's talking?" Jounouchi snarled back. "Then, what are you doing here? You weren't even at the museum! How did you get here? Does Kaiba Corp have a top secret time machine in its volts too?"

"I appeared here, same as you," Kaiba argued. "One moment I was in my office, next…" Kaiba gestured to world around him.

"I don't get this at all…" Jounouchi grumbled. "Why is this…"

But then Kaiba had just stabbed his iron weapon passed Jounouchi's shoulder. A resulting moan came from behind Jounouchi, and the blond spun around to find a group of guards piling themselves into the narrow staircase.

"Holy—" Jounouchi spat and used the wood of his stolen spear to shove the guard backwards onto his fellows.

"If you can force them back," Kaiba cried over the shouts of the guards above them. "We're almost out."

"Trying my best!" Jounouchi growled and charged the whole crowd of guards up the stairs, driving them out. Kaiba supported his shoulders all the way. And somehow, in that tiny cramped hallway, with all the confusion and stress on Jounouchi's muscles, he still caught the scent of Kaiba on the air.

With the last heave, and ache of Jounouchi's leg muscles, the guards fell back this time out the open door.

The setting sun burst through Jounouchi's eyeballs.

And on the twenty or so Egyptian guards that stood in formation outside the entrance of the dungeon, their spear heads glaring in the light of the setting sun.

"Crap," Jounouchi sighed, letting his spear drop to the ground. "Sure you don't got more bombs?"

Kaiba dropped his weapon too, hands raised in surrender.

Jounouchi sighed. "Guess we're screwed."

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Ryou was green, in color and in maturity. The Thief didn't need that kind of confusion before a kill.

"I suppose you'll find me when this is over," Thief said to his future self, who still held onto his ex-host with an unnecessary grip, "No matter what I try to get rid of you."

His future self said nothing, but drew Ryou further into his hold, as though to spite the Thief.

"We will see each other again," Malik said, then looked to Bakura. "Right?"

"Unfortunately," the phantom answered, echoing the Thief's sentiments.

The Thief turned to leave, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him back.

Malik, obviously.

And the spicy youth flipped the chain of his manacles over the Thief King's head, and forced a passionate kiss onto the Thief's mouth.

The Thief let him. Even though Diaboundo didn't like Malik nearly as much as he liked Ryou, it still got him excited, which wasn't a bad idea before a kill…

Malik pulled away, licked his lips, and hissed, "Itterasshai."

The Thief vanished from them, enjoying his pumping blood.

The Ring indeed told him exactly where to go, its shivering determined compass pointer brought him right to one of the Priests' Ka temples. The Pharaoh had definitely increased his guard. But that wouldn't stop the Thief King.

The lovely and powerful Diaboundo slid its way out of the Thief's skin and coiled on the ground. Thanks to the addition of new powers from the Thousand Year Ring, Diaboundo could now conceal the Thief from the eyes of the surrounding guards, making him practically invisible, even to those with magical abilities. Very suitable for a thief.

Now, no one could stop him.

And though the guards would occasionally hear his sandal scrapping the stone stairs to the entrance of the temple, they saw nothing and could do nothing. After scaling the stone wall and slipping into the temple doors, the Thief found, exactly where he had known he would be, standing alone in center space of the temple, the old priest of the Thousand Year Eye. Defenseless.

So easy. Like it was almost fate.

A laugh bubbled up from the Thief's chest. What a miserable pawn he was! Following all the steps laid out for him. Did he even have a choice? Would his future self-control him forever with this riddles and toying words?

"Who's there?"

But now the present was at hand, and the old priest was shaking with fear.

"Bakura! You have the Ring?"

"Oh yes," the Thief mused as though it were simply an extra cloudy day. "I splattered that other priest. This is my spoils of war. And now… I think I'll add a little more to my soul collection…" The Thief released another giggle. Mad. This was all mad.

"How dare you enter this holy place! As guardian of these stones I will punish you!"

Holy? The conceited fool. Didn't he know was surrounded by severed, broken souls? But the old man was even now attempting to bring one of those severed souls to life. Using another's soul to defend himself. The coward. "Sacred Ka within the stone!" the geezer screamed.

"Yes…" the Thief mused. "You can summon monsters to defend yourself, can't you?"

With a twist of the Thief's fist, the monster-stones exploded behind the old priest.

"Unfortunately, my Diaboundo is much _faster_!"

The stone the priest was attempting to raise a monster from shattered in Diaboundo's mighty claws. The wall was a shower of stone rubble.

"Oh. Too damn slow, old man," the Thief cackled. And with an extra push, shadow power cloaked the old priest, binding him in the air. By the command of the Thief King's open palm, the power slammed the old man into the wall. The crackling of his old bones was only a bonus.

"Now…" the Thief mused. "Do I kill you?"

But that would be playing right into his future self's plans. Did he dare fight his fate?

What else could he do?

"…or do I let you live?" the Thief finished.

If his future-self said that he was destined to _kill_ this old man, then to fight fate, all the Thief had to do was keep him alive.

The old priest was both confused and horrified.

"It would be easy to kill you and take your Item," the Thief began, a plan forming in his clever brain. "But what if I got you to work for me?"

The old priest was scared silent. Perhaps he would die of a heart attack before the Thief could implement his plan.

"The Thousand Year Ring can manipulate souls. What if I sealed apart of myself into you? Then you would become my pawn." How delightful. The Thief was forcing fate onto someone other than himself! He would not be alone in his predetermined role.

"Never!" the old priest with his ancient vocal cords shouted. "I am a loyal servant of the Pharaoh!"

"Silence!" And for extra drama, the Thief sent Diaboundo on another rampage around the temple's walls, tearing free the trapped severed souls. Rubble of destroyed monster-stones rained down from above. "I could rip you limb from limb, scattering your body and soul to the winds? Is that what you would prefer?"

The priest was silent. No, of course he preferred life. Everyone did.

"But even that torturous end would not be enough…" the Thief hissed, as he allowed his rage to surface. "It wouldn't make up for Kul Elna."

The priest flinched, his single eye wide and terrified.

"Can you still hear them, lord priest? The screams from the slaughtered village of thieves? I know you were there, I can see it in your mind." Rage was building, the Ring was readying itself for its new victim. "I am that village's sole survivor."

The Thief move forward. Rage, rage, the Ring was brimming with it.

"This city too will drown in blood."

The Ring burst into life as the Thief stomped on priest's chest, crushing his frail body further into the wall. Air rushed out of the old man's old bones.

"And you, dear, dear Priest of the Pharaoh, will help me spill it."

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

So many exciting things are happening in this chapter! Snogging, prison breaks, bombings, mass murder, desecration of temples, it's great!

JAPANESE: "Itterasshai" is that thing you say to people when they are leaving the house for work. In essence, it's "Go and come back" but it gives Malik an almost domestic sort of flavor, because this would not be unusual for a wife to say when her husband is leaving for work. (teehee)

**DON'T YOU SLEW**(just looked this up, _real_ word)**! REVIEW!**


	12. To Pierce the Darkness!

You want an update? Oh yeah? Well, I want more sleep! See? This is what we'd call a conflict of interest. (though the fact that you guys are reading this just proves that you've already won (shrug), thus conflict resolved)

Confession: I don't have my shounen jump translated manga with me so I just translated the title myself so it probably doesn't match the one in the actual volume, but I figured you guys would want the update no matter what. So, here you go!

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 12: The Power that Repels the Darkness**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

It was at that moment, when Yugi had only just put on fresh clothes of light linen and the awkwardness between the boy and the King still stretched, that a guard raced into the room, falling to his knees. "My Pharaoh!"

The Pharaoh rose, immediately alert. "You may speak," he bid.

"My lord, we found an Inn in the city full of bloody corpses! We think it's Bakura's doing! He seems to have escaped the tomb alive!"

Yugi looked to the Pharaoh, panicked.

Perhaps it was the buzzing his ears, but the Pharaoh was compelled by some unknown tug of instinct to run to the balcony. And there, fleeing across the Pharaoh's courtyard, crowds of guard's splitting into bloody pieces in his wake, was the tomb robber, Bakura. His white hair shimmering in the moonlight.

And, as though the tomb robber had called him there, Bakura and the Pharaoh's eyes met, foe to foe. The Pharaoh knew there was only one thing to do… it was like he had been born to do it. Like it was his destiny.

The Pharaoh shoved himself away from the balcony, dashed out of his royal chambers… he was heading to the ground below, to follow Bakura whatever means necessary.

"Stop!"

Yugi had grabbed his arm and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Release me, Yugi!" the Pharaoh ordered, fiercer than he had spoken to the boy before.

"No!" Yugi screamed, "What if this is the time you die? I have to stop you! You have to stay here! With me!"

And though it hurt his heart, the Pharaoh pushed Yugi away.

The boy's eyes watered with despair.

"You cannot ask me to do that," the Pharaoh said, losing his regal pride. The words he spoke were surprisingly hollow. "You cannot ask me to sit here like I've done all my life! He desecrated my father! He _killed_ Mahaado!"

Yugi's hands were up over his mouth in horror. The poor boy's will was crumbling. "I can't let you die."

"I can't let my people and my loved ones suffer because of my weakness!"

Yugi winced, shuddering against the Pharaoh's words. "But—But I—"

And then, with a flash of the other Thousand Year Puzzle, Yugi was no longer Yugi. The spirit, trapped within the Puzzle for three thousand years stared at the Pharaoh… with hope in his eyes.

His face, which had never before shown expression, looked content.

Proud.

"Go," the spirit of the Puzzle urged. "I'll give you a head start. I can't promise aibou won't follow you…"

The Pharaoh didn't know what to say, he wouldn't know how even if he did, with his throat all clogged up and his eyes stinging…

So the Pharaoh turned, and ran to meet his doom.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"Ah… Kaiba? I think there might be something that I should tell you…" Jounouchi began awkwardly.

Kaiba was kicked forward by a guard. His wrists were tied behind his back with primitive, roughly constructed rope. He was tired, malnourished, and already sick of this savage time. For the CEO of the technologically advanced Kaiba Corporation, this, in no stretch of the imagination could be called an successful venture, despite the fact that he had managed to locate and free the blond idiot. "Is this really an appropriate time, Jounouchi?"

"Yeah… it kinda is." Jounouchi tried to get closer to Kaiba to portray this important information, but the guards prevented them from getting too near. "You see, the guy who arrested me…"

But Jounouchi's explanation died in his throat as the guard forced both of them to a stop. Kaiba followed Jounouchi's exasperated stare… to find.

Kaiba was having a _horrible_ day.

An Egyptian noble, it looked by his clothes, had come out to greet his two prisoners. And Kaiba realized, with awful sharpness, what the blond idiot had been about to tell him. The Egyptian noble's facial features happened to resemble Kaiba's own _exactly_, as though he were some sort of mutated clone.

More of Yugi's ludicrous magic theory, no doubt.

Even more infuriating, his clone spoke the ancient Egyptian tongue, like everyone in this ridiculous world. The only part Kaiba could comprehended of his speech was the sound of his own name. His clone must have been talking about him, or to him, either explanations were infuriating.

So when Jounouchi _responded_, in the same barbaric language, continuing this lunacy, Kaiba nearly gave in to the delusion. Nearly. There was, after all, no denying that he seemed to have been relocated to a place with no sign of modern invention. Nor that Jounouchi and the Clone-Priest were having an entire conversation in that ridiculous language.

Kaiba would have none of this. "What are you saying?" Kaiba demanded of the blond idiot.

Jounouchi overreacted as usual. "_What_? I'm defending you!"

"You are speaking rubbish," Kaiba said.

Jounouchi got, unjustly, very haughty. "For your information, I am speaking Egyptian."

Kaiba scoffed. "You don't know Egyptian."

"As it happens, I do!"

"And where could you have possibly learned ancient Egyptian? Did _Yugi_ teach you?"

The Clone-Priest faltered. Had something in Kaiba's accusation drawn unwanted attention to the CEO? Or had the clone understood Kaiba's words? That would mean he understood Japanese. If Jounouchi had learned ancient Egyptian anything was possible.

"Seth gave it to me," Jounouchi answered, cheeks inflamed.

"_Seth_, is it?" Ridiculous. His name was even similar to Kaiba's. This cosmic joke was nothing if not thorough.

Jounouchi reddened further. "Hey! I didn't ask for this! He just put the language in my head with his Rod so he could torture me for information!"

"More of you and Yugi's occult nonsense," Kaiba said, unconcerned. Besides… Jounouchi looked perfectly healthy.

"What are you talking about?" Jounouchi accused. "We are in Egypt! How can you deny any of this magic stuff now?"

Kaiba remained unconcerned. "It's a very convincing illusion. If this is just more of you idiots' trickery, I suppose I'll survive."

As he was prone to do, Jounouchi seethed.

"Kaiba…" the clone, Seth, had been watching their argument with immense interest in his eyes. But despite his features, this expression wasn't anything like Kaiba's own. There was something uncontrollable in this Egyptian priest's eyes. Kaiba didn't want to be compared with such a reckless fool.

Seth was threatening Jounouchi with something in Egyptian again; Kaiba could tell from his malicious, almost childish, expression. Jounouchi glowed with humiliation and his honey-colored eyes darted to Kaiba.

"What?" Kaiba demanded. They were talking about him again.

"Nothing!" Jounouchi cried defensively, for it most certainly was not nothing. "Look, Seth, just give him the language, ok?"

"Of course," Seth said, in perfect Japanese. So he had only been speaking in Egyptian to taunt Kaiba and humiliate Jounouchi. Such immature tricks. "I will give your Kaiba the language with my Rod, if…"

Jounouchi paled. "If…"

Kaiba could see what direction this was going in. As Seth approached Jounouchi, placed a finger under his chin, and whispered in the blond's ear.

The priest's eyes flickered onto Kaiba had he hissed his condition to Jounouchi.

Jounouchi jerked away, fighting the guards that held him in place. "Fuck no!" he snarled. "No deal!"

"What did he say?" Kaiba said.

"Nothing!" Jounouchi repeated, but his flaming red cheeks told otherwise. "It's just stupid, ok? Forget about it!"

Kaiba could not possibly bear this day any further.

Seth smirked. "Do you fear your Kaiba's reproach that much, Jounouchi?"

Kaiba fumed with rage. How dare this _copy_ use Jounouchi's name. It had taken Kaiba months to prepare himself for that humiliation…

Jounouchi lowered his eyes. "Yes. Just leave it."

Seth must have known what had occurred between Jounouchi and Kaiba. It was the only reason he would go through so much trouble to torture the two of them, which meant Jounouchi must have told this trickster something so intimate. Kaiba's rage was building…

"Then I suppose he'll have to remain half deaf," Seth answered.

Along with irritation, a strange pressure was building up in Kaiba's head.

"Not that I mind keeping our talks private," Seth said to the blond.

He touched Jounouchi's hair.

Kaiba had never touched his hair…

At the height of Kaiba's anger, the room exploded in golden light.

The guards that had been restraining Jounouchi and Kaiba, leapt back as the Sennen Rod, Kaiba recognized it as Malik's Item, pulsed with light in the priest's hands.

From the look on Seth's face, this had not been his intent. It would not be the first time the Rod disobeyed its owner. On Battle Ship, during Kaiba's duel with Ishizu, the Item had showed him an illusion that was supposed to have taken place in the past. This past.

Then a beam of light jumped from the Rod's eye into Kaiba's head.

And, in that single moment, Kaiba knew the language spoken in ancient Egypt.

Seth's expression was wide with fear. How immature.

Jounouchi gaped. "Kaiba…? Did you…"

"I did nothing, I assure you," Kaiba answered. In Egyptian.

Jounouchi's mouth gawked for a second time. "How—" and then he composed a look of disbelief. "How can you not believe in magic when you keep doing stuff like _this_, huh?"

"I'm sure I'll wake up soon," Kaiba responded. He didn't even care to think how this made sense. All that mattered was this incident had wiped the arrogance off Seth's childish face.

The priest rose to his full height. "That is quite enough. This conspiracy has gone farther than I could have anticipated."

"We are no conspiracy!" Jounouchi cried. "Let us speak to Yugi! He'll confirm everything I've said!"

"Yugi's here as well?" Kaiba asked.

Seth's pride had been wounded. He now watched Kaiba with a wary eye. There was no way he would listen to them now. "I'm afraid that's impossible. Yugi is a prisoner of the Pharaoh's now."

"Pharaoh?" Jounouchi repeated, his face screwing up so that his brain could think.

"Yugi said he was the Pharaoh from back then," Kaiba added, "Not that he too isn't insane."

"Hey!" Jounouchi snapped.

"Am I supposed to know the answers to these insane riddles?" Seth snorted.

"Ishizu, told me the same thing," Kaiba continued, focused on Seth, watching to see how he would react.

"That woman with the Sennen Tauk?" Jounouchi interrupted.

Seth reacted to that statement. Was there another with the Sennen Tauk in this world as well? It would certainly follow the pattern.

"She showed me hallucinations 'of the past,'" Kaiba continued. Seth was watching him now. Perhaps he was starting to understand how insignificant he was. "She told me, in the past, I caused the fall of the great Kingdom of Egypt."

Seth froze.

"Not that I buy into that ludicrous theory," Kaiba finished.

Seth was unreadable. He must have been terrified. If this world reflected the past, then this character with his face was Kaiba from the past. He had a lot to fear then. But before Seth could have them executed, or whatever they did to undesirables in this time…

"Lord Seth!" a messenger ran into the courtyard. Out of breath, the man shouted, "In the shrine of Wedju! Lord Akhenaden has been attacked by Bakura!"

"Bakura?" Jounouchi exclaimed.

How many other characters would be appearing here? Kaiba could only hope Mokuba had been spared this ridiculous fate.

Seth, evidently, had had dealings with Bakura before. His face grew hard. Was this other enemy distracting enough to take his attention off of Jounouchi and Kaiba? Did this world have a plot that even this priest was forced to follow?

Seth indecision seemed to be solved. He turned, about to rush off to pursue Bakura…

"Wait!" Jounouchi cried.

"Let it go, Jounouchi," Kaiba urged but the idiot didn't listen to him.

"We know Bakura!" Jounouchi shouted again.

Seth was drawn backwards. He stared at Jounouchi with a mix of horror and awe. Indeed, the idiot was memorable, Kaiba could attest to that. But this didn't mean Kaiba wanted others to look at Jounouchi the same way he did, especially this particular priest.

"We can help!" Jounouchi claimed. "Bakura is our enemy too!"

Kaiba remained silent. He had already decided to follow Jounouchi, to no matter what ridiculous end. If Jounouchi felt he had to help this sad, undeveloped version of Kaiba, then the CEO wouldn't complain.

"Guards," Seth indicated his servants, "Bring the prisoners." And he strode out of the room.

Jounouchi and Kaiba allowed the guards to shove them along in the priest's wake.

"He could have at least, untied us," Jounouchi grumbled.

"You asked for it," Kaiba said, not at all thrilled to be following his pathetic dimensional-counterpart.

Jounouchi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry to drag you along."

Kaiba had to retain some of his pride. "Be quite, idiot."

Yugi's screams had always broken the spirit's heart. But this time it was different. This time, Yugi was screaming at him. This time, the pain was excruciating.

"_How could you_!" The spirit had locked Yugi in his soulroom. It was only a matter of time before he escaped but when he did it would be too late. The Pharaoh was already too far away to be stopped. "How _could_ you, mou hitori no boku! He's _you_! We _can't_ let him _die_!"

The spirit of the Puzzle accepted the hurtful words Yugi threw at him. They were true. Everything was true. But Yugi didn't understand, because he was so innocent, what the Pharaoh needed to do, to protect his people. It didn't matter if he died, as long as his people were safe.

It was the same way… the spirit felt about Yugi.

But that didn't stop it from hurting, as Yugi pounded his tiny fists against the wall of his soulroom.

"He's going to _die_!" Yugi shrieked.

The spirit buried his face in his hands. The Pharaoh had to die. Yugi didn't realize it now… maybe he wouldn't till the very end…

The mental lock on Yugi's soulroom door broke. And Yugi dashed out of the room without even looking at his other half. He was going to try to save the Pharaoh. He was going to try _so_ hard…

The spirit of the Puzzle felt Yugi take control of the body and ran as fast as his short legs could, flying down the corridors of the palace, to find the Pharaoh.

/I'm sorry,/ Yami no Yugi said, /Aibou, _dear_ aibou, I'm _so_ sorry./

Yugi didn't respond. His thoughts were full of the Pharaoh.

Of all the things that had happened that night, Jounouchi escaping, the appearance of the illustrious Kaiba, the Rod breaking free of his will… nothing compared to the sight that awaited Seth when he reached the Temple. When he saw his teacher, his mentor, lying with many broken bones and bruises, in a pile of rubble…

Bakura had tried to take the Eye. It looked as though he had attempted to dig it out with a knife, the eye had partially escaped the man's flesh. The old priest's face was covered in blood…

"It's alright, He's only unconscious." Kalim had arrived before Seth. Already there were medical monks hovering around Akhenaden. "It looks like Bakura failed to steal the Eye at least."

Bakura. That name had once been but a nuisance, a fly, now… now he had threatened Seth's mentor and teacher, the only man Seth respected! Seth didn't know who to hate more, his pale-skinned copy, or Bakura? Who was more of a threat to the Kingdom?

At the moment, the answer was clear. Bakura.

"God…"

The guards had caught up with Seth's frantic pace. Jounouchi and his Kaiba were in the temple. Jounouchi looked respectfully pale and disgusted. Though Kaiba did not show a scarcity of remorse.

"Get them out of this holy place!" Seth ordered his guards. The guards shoved Jounouchi and Kaiba back outside. Give Akhenaden some peace at least.

Bakura would be punished for this. Seth would make sure of it.

Seth left Akhenaden to the medical monks and returned outside, where Jounouchi, Kaiba, and a legend of guards had gathered to see the fallen priest. The vultures.

"What are you standing for?" Seth shouted at the guards. "Bakura is still nearby! _Find him_!"

The guards scattered. Only two were left to hold Seth's prisoners.

Jounouchi gulped. "Who was he? That old guy in there? It looked like he had the Sennen Eye, right?"

Seth couldn't take the blonde's curiosity at that moment. "Nothing a terrorist should be concerned with."

"I'm not a—"

"Get down!" Without warning, Kaiba, though his arms were still bound by ropes behind his back, had tackled both Jounouchi and, by proximity, Seth to the ground.

A second later, the two guards that had been handling Jounouchi and Kaiba burst into fountains of blood; their flesh splattered on the steps of the temple.

Seth opened his eyes to the starry heavens, to see Diaboundo soaring directly overhead, sweeping the ground with his glimmering claws as he passed, ripping apart the bodies of all nearby guards.

Sadistic laughter filled the night.

That laugh was not hard to forget.

Under Diaboundo's protective snake belly was Bakura on horseback, escaping right out the front gates.

"Anyone who gets close is bait for the god, Diaboundo!" the villain cackled.

"Bakura!" Jounouchi cried as the Thief King rushed passed.

"His appearance has changed," Kaiba observed as he got to his feet.

"What the—" Jounouchi's eyes were fixed on the spray of corpses left by the dead guards. "I didn't even see anything. _What_ killed those guys?"

"You saw it though, didn't you, Kaiba?" Seth accused.

Kaiba said nothing.

"Saw what?" Jounouchi asked.

"Diaboundo," Seth explained. "A Ka monster. Only those with magical abilities can see Ka. Jounouchi couldn't see Diaboundo, but _you_ did. That's why you shielded us, that is why we're still alive."

Kaiba frowned and glanced away. "You flatter me. Saving _you_ was an accident."

"What's a Ka monster?" Jounouchi asked, clueless. But he was distracted by something behind the priest. "Yugi? Since when can he ride a horse?"

Seth swung around. No, it was not Yugi. On the back of horse, tearing out of the palace at top speed, was the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh was not supposed to leave the palace. The Pharaoh was a symbol, a figure of the people. Chasing after criminals was a priest's duty! What had happened to the Pharaoh since these pale-skinned people arrived?

"He is a bit changed as well," Kaiba said, but his voice was dull, as though bored.

Jounouchi squinted. "Yeah… guess he is."

"That is not Yugi," Seth argued, grinding his teeth. "_That_ is the Pharaoh."

Jounouchi wasn't getting it. "Same thing."

Then the sky broke. Lightening shattered the folds of heavens.

Something deep in Seth's blood jerked, echoed with the thunder in the air. Power was surging through the universe, through Seth… In a second burst of light, the lightening fused together, tightened, spun, and threaded itself into a massive crimson dragon, stretching the length of the whole palace.

A god. The Pharaoh's second legendary God.

Was the Kingdom already that desperate?

"Osiris," Kaiba said.

"Here? Really?" Jounouchi was searching the sky for something his dull eyes could not find. "_Where_?"

Seth's insides cooled. "What did you say?"

"Osiris, the Dragon of the Heavens," Kaiba repeated. His eyes leveled and caught Seth's stare of awe. "What? Don't you know your own god's name?"

"Only the Pharaoh can control the gods by name," Seth recited through gritted teeth.

Kaiba's brow rose in interest. "Obelisk responds to me just fine."

"I don't see it!" Jounouchi cried, frustrated.

How… only the Pharaoh was supposed to know the name of the Gods… How could these fools be so calm when addressing the most powerful weapons of the Kingdom of Egypt? How did they know? How dare this blasphemer even fathom control over God? Seth was surprised lightning of holy retribution hadn't struck him in that instant.

Who were these foreigners?

"Yugi!" Jounouchi screamed. "YUGI!" Though his hands were tied and he could not see the terror that was flying above his head, the blonde bolted from Seth's side, streaking right toward another pale-skinned boy who had exited the palace doors and was now flying across the courtyard in the midst of danger.

"_Idiot_!" Kaiba launched himself after Jounouchi. Seth followed, though he was not used to running, especially in long robes.

"YUGI!" Jounouchi screamed, leaping over the bloody stumps of Diaboundo's victims.

Finally the boy looked up. " Jou-Jounouchi!" His course changed as he rushed now to the blonde. The two foreigners collided, Yugi throwing his short arms around Jounouchi's neck.

Kaiba caught up to them first. Seth, with as much dignity as he could muster strode across the plane of corpses to the pale-skinned company. But he had another reason to greet the harem-boy…

"Jounouchi!" Yugi was hanging on the taller boy's shoulders. "How—He's gone! I lost him! Oh Jounouchi I—" Appropriate tears were streaming down Yugi's face.

"Slow down," Jounouchi said, lowering himself to Yugi's eye level. "Who are you talking about, Yugi? What's going on? We just saw you ride by on a horse—"

The Rod burst into life. And though Seth knew he could do nothing to this boy because he was still protected by the fake Puzzle, a wave of shadow magic struck Yugi in the chest, driving him away from Jounouchi. The priest could not hold back any longer. He knew who to blame for this mess. "_What_ have you done to the Pharaon, _harem-slut_?"

"Woah!" Jounouchi jumped in between his friend and the priest. "Take it easy, Seth. Yugi's a good guy, ok?"

Seth had no patience for this. Jounouchi was not protected by the Puzzle. Seth had to merely flick the Rod to send him to the ground.

"_What the hell_?" Jounouchi cried, face bound to the stone courtyard. "Get this magic-shit _off_ me?"

"You!" Seth closed in on Yugi. The Puzzle did not save Yugi from being grasped by the front of his tunic and lifted into the air. "You vixen! You have ruined everything! _Where_ is the Pharaoh? What have you bewitched him to do?"

"Let him go!" Jounouchi cried, though he could do nothing from the ground. "Yugi's never hurt anyone!"

"If that is so, tell me then, why has the Pharaoh abandoned his throne in our crisis?"

A shudder leapt through Seth's system. The priest was so shocked he released Yugi without thinking. His power shorted out as though it had been instantly smothered.

Kaiba had put his open hand on the Rod.

Seth couldn't breathe. Their two pairs of eyes connected. This was dangerous.

Jounouchi was on his feet and at Yugi's side in a second. "Fucking priest, what's wrong with you?"

What was wrong? Seth tore the Rod away from Kaiba's reach; his power came back almost instantly. What was wrong with the world? Something was happening. The Kingdom was dying. What time was this when the Thousand Year Items could not even be controlled by their chosen masters?

"It's _my_ fault!" Yugi cried when the priest had said nothing.

"Yugi," Jounouchi said, holding his friend's shoulders.

Kaiba was silent and still glaring at Seth.

"But I never wanted him to leave the palace!" Yugi explained with desperate need. "I don't want him to die!"

Die? The Pharaoh… "Is that what you see happening tonight, prophet?" Seth demanded. His panic was cooling, being replaced by something else…

Yugi trembled. "I don't know when or how… I know he will die… but I want to save him. I have to save him!"

Seth's temperature grew so cold the night seemed scorching.

"Lord Seth!" Horse hooves were approaching from behind. Seth didn't have to turn. Shaada and Kalim rode into view with a legion of guards.

"Come, Seth!" Shaada cried. His horse reared into a stop. "We must rescue the Pharaoh!"

But Seth's company did not go unnoticed. "Who are they?" Kalim asked. "More foreigners? Are they in league with Bakura?"

"No!" Jounouchi argued, outraged.

Kaiba crossed his arms, much like Seth did at times. "Do we look like we are friends of Bakura?"

Shaada and Kalim went speechless at Kaiba's face.

But they didn't have time for this.

"Leave them. They are nothing but a distraction," Seth said. "Yugi."

Yugi was shocked to be addressed.

"I don't care if what you speak is the truth, or what your mission is in this world." Seth looked at Kaiba. This adolescent carried his face but nothing else. He was nothing like Seth. He understood nothing of priestly duty or honor. "My only duty is to the Pharaoh. I will save him when you cannot. _I_ will not let him die."

"Thank you," Yugi said. His words sounded like a plea.

Seth scoffed. He ordered the closest guard off his mount and swung himself onto the horse. "I will protect the Pharaoh! For his Kingdom and for the glory of our gods!"

The guards took this as their cue to reform. Though Shaada and Kalim were still wary of the pale-skinned foreigners, they took their positions behind Seth.

In the moment before Seth led the charge to take back the Pharaoh and to defeat Bakura, his eyes found Jounouchi, still crouched on the ground next to Yugi. The blonde stared back at him, and his face was full of awe.

Seth ignored the twitch of his gut, as he kicked his horse into a gallop.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Malik hadn't said anything since his farewell to Dorobo. He was crouched on the balls of his feet, chain dragging on the ground, eyes glazed over. They were on a cliff just outside the realm of the city so they could watch the battle's progress. Bakura said this place was going to be the stage where their part in the battle would begin.

He had also said no one was going to die.

Ryou trembled in the bitter air of the desert of Egypt.

A pair of pale arms wrapped around him from behind, locked around his chest.

"I lied."

Ryou breathed. His own arms were folded in his chest, the Sennen Rod pounded its dislike for him through his skin. His only comfort was the cool body supporting his back.

The mouth at his ear ticked his flesh. "I should have said, no one you know is going to die tonight."

Ryou swallowed.

Two monsters were flying through the streets of the Pharaoh's city. Osiris, the Dragon of Heaven, in brilliant fiery red, rippled close to the ground, defending the people below. And Diaboundo, Dorobo's monster…

"Come one, come all! It's the Pharaoh's Death Parade!"

Diaboundo shifted in and out of the blackness of the sky, sometimes disappearing altogether, sometimes erupting from the ground below.

"Now Pharaoh, let's begin the Killing Game!"

Diaboundo's attacks were aimed at the city below. Though Ryou could not see the people burn, their terror filled his ears. Along the manic laughter of the King of Thieves.

"This is your mission," the mouth told Ryou.

Though Ryou was paralyzed with fear, he still felt the allure of that mouth.

"You must observe all that I have done."

Ryou leaned into the body behind him.

"You must know what you are…"

Ryou finished the thought in his head. '…falling in love with.'

Yes, it was terrible. As the smoke from the burning flesh below funneled into columns of gray smoke. The smell reached Ryou, poisonously faint at first, then the city was a furnace of chard human flesh.

The Thief King was getting closer. "What's wrong? Can't your precious God defeat one sinner, Pharaoh?"

Dorobo and the Pharaoh were in sight now. They had left the boundaries of the city but were not yet at the "battle point", where Ryou, Bakura, and Malik lay in wait.

Malik stirred but only to get a better view of Dorobo.

Both the Pharaoh's and the Thief King's horses were exhausted, sweat shined from their flanks. Dorobo, who had been out front, took the high ground. Diaboundo was nowhere in sight, but Osiris curved high into the sky above the Pharaoh, poised to strike.

"Are you angry at me, Pharaoh?" Dorobo taunted. "Do you grieve for your lost citizens? Let me tell you this, Oh-sama-yo. The blood on my hands tonight, the thirst of death, this is the will of your 'holy' Thousand Year Items!"

Though he was still too far away for Ryou to see his face, the Pharaoh crumpled in his saddle.

"How can the Items be God's Justice? If when you collect them all you gain the infinite powers of Hell?" Dorobo was serious now. "Such an immature King cannot hope to withstand the weight of those horrible Items. Hand over your Puzzle. If you do it nicely I won't murder anymore of your precious city."

Malik was standing now. Bakura did not stop him from creeping to the very edge of their cliff, leaning with all his might toward Dorobo. Ryou was all the more willing to stay back, away from the fighting, in the arms of…

The Pharaoh, incredibly, seemed to be obeying the Thief King's order. He had taken off the Puzzle and held it out to his opponent.

Ryou's breath hitched.

"Not yet," Bakura said, next to his ear. "Wait…"

At that second, Osiris dropped out of the sky, aiming for the Thief King. At the same moment Diaboundo slid through the ground below the Pharaoh and enclosed him in a ring of claws…

Malik cried out.

Ryou flinched.

"Do not look away," Bakura commanded.

Ryou had never planned on it.

"Clever, clever, Oh-sama-yo!" Dorobo cried, his murderous glee returning. "But I can't fully claim your Puzzle while you're still alive."

Ryou did not blink.

No one was going to die tonight. No one was going to die tonight. No one was going to…

"_Muut_," Dorobo ordered.

And as Diaboundo's claws were about to fall onto the Pharaoh's flesh…

Dorobo screamed.

A third monster, man-shaped, had leapt into the fray, seemingly out of nowhere, and cut off Diaboundo's hand before it could attack the Pharaoh.

"_Bakura_," Malik growled.

Ryou could practically feel Bakura's eyes roll. "You didn't expect him to escape entirely unscathed, did you? This is a war."

Malik sulked. "I would have liked if he could kept the use of both his hands."

Ryou's eyes were fixed on a new line of horses that had charged out of the city gates only moments before. They looked like a bunch of Egyptian Nobles. But there was not a pale Japanese face among them.

"The priests have come to save their King," Bakura explained.

For someone who no longer was connected to Ryou's head, he sure read his mind well.

"Pharaoh, are you alright?" Cries of concern went out as the priest rejoined their King.

Dorobo cursed and kicked his horse up and along the very cliff where they stood. Diaboundo disappeared back into the black of the sky. When Dorobo rode up to the three of them, crouched behind the rocks of the cliff, it was clear that his right hand was so limp that he could not even direct the reins of his horse with it.

Malik ran up to his horse, silently taking Dorobo's lifeless hand and pressing it against his cheek.

"Well? Are these not the new players you were prattling about?" Dorobo scathed. "Kill them!"

The arms around Ryou tightened. He didn't complain. Even if it was only to irritate the Thief King. "Incorrect. The new players are far more bothersome. You can handle a few extra priests, can't you?"

Dorobo's eyes burned as he looked upon Ryou and Bakura. He turned his attention to Malik instead, who was being _so_ receptive to his injury. "What are you doing?"

"Infuriating my other half," Malik said, mouth buried in the Dorobo's dead palm. "Just doing my part for the battle to come."

"Is that so?"

Malik gasped in surprise as he was suddenly lifted into the air by the grip Dorobo's working hand on the front of his shirt, strewn across the saddle, and violently kissed by the King of Thieves.

Ryou thought it was ok to look away now. Though that didn't stop Malik's moan from reaching his ears.

He opened his eyes again when he heard Malik get dropped back on the ground.

"How is the little demon now?" Dorobo asked.

Malik breathed, his legs wobbled to stay standing. "Livid."

And Dorobo trotted off along the cliff, heels bouncing.

Malik dropped to the ground. "Oooh _man_. I think I love him."

Bakura said nothing. Ryou's stomach squeezed.

Oh Malik. Poor, poor, Malik.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"But you don't even know how to ride a horse!" Jounouchi cried, as he watched Yugi struggle to get onto the massive horse's back. "What if it throws you off and smashes your skull or—"

"I don't care," Yugi said, jumping for the saddle to pull himself up, but the horse kept moving away from him. "I need to find the Pharaoh, Jounouchi-kun. I have to…" Yugi fought the oncoming sobs again.

Yugi was ignoring the cold half of his mind. The spirit of the Puzzle had shut himself in his room, out of guilt. Yugi was… But he couldn't address that problem at the moment. Not until the Pharaoh was safe. Seth's promise wasn't enough, Yugi needed to know… he needed to do anything he could to protect him.

Even so… the spirit of the Puzzle hadn't said anything in a long time.

"What are you waiting for?" Kaiba asked. "I'm surprised you haven't jumped in by now offering to help Yugi up, idiot."

Jounouchi stuttered. "Look, Yugi could get hurt—"

"That never stopped you from assisting him before," Kaiba argued. "Help him."

Yugi was amazed. Kaiba had never supported him before, why was he so willing to help him now? Then Yugi saw the pained look on Jounouchi's face.

"Kaiba…" Had the blond's voice trembled?

"I'll follow." And Kaiba strode to a nearby stall and took the reins of another horse, as though he had been riding all his life. "You ride with Yugi."

Jounouchi gulped.

As panicked as Yugi was, he marveled at this strange exchange.

Without saying another word, Jounouchi grabbed Yugi's leg, pushed it up, and swung it over the horse's back. Then he pulled himself up behind Yugi, holding the reins.

"Let's go get your Pharaoh."

Yugi grasped onto the saddle for dear life.

Apparently Kaiba knew how to ride. But Yugi couldn't imagine where Jounouchi could have learned, except perhaps that the blonde watched a lot of American movies. But Jounouchi managed to irritate the horse enough into a fast cantor. They were away from the stables, across the courtyard, and out the gate before long.

The Pharaoh's battle left many obstacles to avoid in the street, burning piles of wreckage, collapsed walls in the streets, screaming villagers that were running to the palace walls for protection. Through the rough ride on the horse, Yugi peered up at the sky and saw flashes of color, or an explosion in the town down the street.

They were still too far away. They had to go faster. Yugi's heart was knocking against his brain.

It took too long to get to the edge of the city. The Pharaoh's city was burning, scarred right down the middle. Their horses wielded around looking for signs of battle.

"There!" Yugi pointed at the sky were Osiris was soaring towards some rocky cliffs.

"Alright horse!" Jounouchi screamed at the animal and flapped his legs at the animal's sides. The horse got the spirit of the idea and jumped back into his jostled trot.

They rounded a corner and spotted the priests.

And the Pharaoh was among them.

But just as Yugi allowed his hope to resurface… there was an eruption of energy in the sky…

That beheaded the Dragon of Heaven.

And in the distance, the Pharaoh's body shuddered and then fell from the saddle, his royal cloak fluttering.

"_NO_!"

Yugi screamed.

He had kicked the horse as hard as his tiny legs could manage. The animal was so spooked by Yugi's initial scream that it bolted for the priests. Yugi didn't even notice as Jounouchi toppled off the horse behind him. He watched as Osiris' charred corpse withered and dissolved with the hollow gust of the wind. Yugi clutched at the saddle of the horse as it raced to the priests, passed the priests…

It reared on its back legs and Yugi fell hard on the ground below. But the Pharaoh had collapsed from his horse as well, his shocked body crumpled on the ground not far away…

Ignoring the pain in his limbs, Yugi rushed to the King of Egypt's side. The boy from the future took the Pharaoh's head in his lap and cradled it.

"No, no, no, _no_…" Yugi sobbed. "I've failed, I've _failed_ you…"

"What are you doing to the Pharaoh!" The priests were outraged. "Get away from the Pharaoh!" But Yugi didn't move.

"STOP!" Yugi dimly recognized Jounouchi's voice. "Yugi only wants to help!"

Yugi could not hear the rest of the argument, his ears had filled with a high anxious buzz.

"…Yugi?"

The Pharaoh was still alive. Though his body was broken and his spirit was almost gone. How much of his soul had he sacrificed to summon the God of the Heavens?

"Oh god," Yugi moaned, touched the Pharaoh's face.

"If you like your King then leave Yugi alone!" Jounouchi cried. "He's going to help!"

"You foreigners have destroyed the Kingdom!"

Yugi heeded them no mind. The Pharaoh's strained face filled his vision. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to save you…" the boy sobbed.

The King's eyes were glazed. "Maybe you're not…"

"Don't say that!" Yugi cried, tears were dribbling down his cheeks.

"Tell them Seth! Tell them about Yugi! About _you_ for god's sake!"

"What is he talking about, Seth? Are you in league with these pale-skins?"

The Pharaoh smiled. "I left the palace... never done that before…my city looks different up close…"

"No, it doesn't end here," Yugi said. "I won't let it."

/Aibou…/

And the light rekindled in Yugi's heart.

"I can use my soul," Yugi said.

The Pharaoh's expression of defeat sunk into one of terror. "No, Yugi don't. You can't. You don't know what—"

Yugi stroked the Pharaoh's head. "I know how. After all, part of your soul is still with me."

The Pharaoh grabbed Yugi's arm with the last of his strength. "Don't—please…"

Yugi smiled, though his cheeks were still sticky with tears. "I have to. For you."

And still holding onto the Pharaoh, the Puzzle around Yugi's neck glowed.

/Which one do you want, aibou?/ the spirit of the Puzzle asked.

"Ra," Yugi decided, looking up at the night sky. "To repel the darkness."

It was poetic.

And even though Yugi had carried the Puzzle for two years now, he was not at all prepared for the power that went surging through his flesh. The Puzzle was alive with energy. Yugi was alive. He must have left the ground, Yugi, the Pharaoh in his arms, the spirit of the Puzzle in his head. The pulses of power around him were almost solid.

Light shattered the night.

Golden limbed, Ra rose from the horizon.

Dawn had broke, revealing the ugly Diaboundo, pinned against the rays of light.

On cliff above, the white-haired King of Thieves was pale with terror.

"Yugi…" the Pharaoh gazed, not at the newly born god, but at him. "How do you always amaze me?"

"We did it together," Yugi said, still cradling him.

And maybe it was because the sun had risen, but the Pharaoh's face looked full of life again. He even got to his feet, Yugi roped in his arms.

The King of Egypt commanded. "Ra, God of the Sun, strike down this sinner!"

The golden God shown, and then embodied itself in flames. It twisted in the air, its fire scorching the sky, and then descended upon Diaboundo.

As the King of Thieves' soul-monster erupted into flames, so did its master. As if he had been too close to a gallon of gasoline, the white-haired Thief was aglow with fire. He fell from his horse writhing in pain, screaming from the powers of Ra…

Yugi flinched, but turned farther into the Pharaoh's hold.

The King of Egypt grasped Yugi's face with joy. His copper skin lit by the new sun. "You saved me, little one."

Yugi's heart leapt.

Everything was ok now. Yugi had saved him.

And then there came another scream.

Yugi looked back to the cliff and saw a bronze figure in bright modern clothes rushing to the Thief King's burning side.

"_You've killed him_! YOU'VE KILLED HIM!"

Yugi gasped. "Malik…?"

Indeed the heir of the tomb guardians was screaming, as though it were he that was in pain. And across the desert, his livid eyes found Yugi's… "_I'LL KILL YOU MUTOU YUGI_!"

And then Ra went out.

The entire company was suddenly aware of the thickness of the air and the heaviness of the clouds blocking out the sun.

The burning coal that was the defeated Diaboundo, rose back into sky. The light was out. Ra was screeching, dying? _How_?

And then Yugi felt, as though his own life had been cut short, severed from his body, his strength left him. The Pharaoh winced as well, and the two collapsed to the ground. Yugi was weak, so weak. At that exact moment, Ra vanished, set, like the sun, back into the horizon from where he came. _Who_… who had done this?

"Looks like we're just in time."

Before the company of priests, stood Bakura. The modern-day Bakura that Yugi had known through school and battles on the dueling field. In jeans and a striped T-shirt, his pale skin and white hair… and black eyes.

"Now, now," Bakura observed the scene, from his past counterpart on the cliff, to the priests, to Jounouchi and Kaiba standing by Yugi. "This isn't how this battle is supposed to go at all. You are the most annoying glitch, Yugi."

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

ZOMGsoexciting,ikr?

Seriously. That's a real nail biter, if I do say so myself. Hope you guys enjoy the anticipation! Who knows when I'll update next! Oooo… the mystery…

Badass award for this chapter goes to Kaiba! Because he's one sultry bamf. Though Bakura comes in a close second because of that killer late line. (and because he holds all my love, but you know that's all the time)

If you enjoyed it, prove it~!


	13. The Ruler of Shadows

Funny how no one seems to be missing Mana. I know I'm not. Suck it..

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 13: The Ruler of Shadows**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

"Bakura?" Yugi choked, clutching onto the Pharaoh. Oh god, oh god…

"_Your_ Bakura?" the King of Egypt asked, though he too no longer had the strength to stand.

Yugi was so weak he had to fight to breathe. "What—what—have you done to us?"

Bakura looked upon them, expression dangerously placid. "It's not what _I _have done to you. It's what _he_ has."

And Yugi, and the entire company of priests and foreigners, turned their eyes onto a man who had appeared on the scene without anyone's knowledge. A man wrapped in Egyptian linens, with empty eyes… But despite his garb and skin color, he was not from the past…

Yugi choked. "Sh-Shaadi?"

"_That_ guy?" Jounouchi cried. "But he lead us to the museum! He brought us here!"

"Indeed, how unexpected," Bakura commented, though he didn't seem at all surprised himself.

The priests rippled at the sight of new arrival. They did not fail to notice how Shaadi's facial features were identical to the priest Shaada's. And they all saw the way he held both the Sennen Scales and the Sennen Key in his hands.

"What is this blasphemy?" Shaada cried. "_I_ would never—_who_ is that _demon_?"

Kalim pulled his horse up next to his fellow priest's.

"Indeed," modern Bakura wondered. "Who are you, Shaadi?"

Shaadi did not look at Bakura; his empty eyes were only for Yugi. "I am sorry. I reversed the fusion between you and the God of Ra with my Scales, Mutou Yugi."

Shaada lurched forward. "They are not your Scales! They belong rightfully to Kalim!"

"Why?" Yugi shouted, though he cost him a great deal of strength. "I thought you were on _our_ side?"

"Fool," Bakura said, not without an air of aloofness, "There are no sides to fate."

"It is true," Shaadi said. His voice was slow, soft, yet all could hear him. "I hate Bakura. I will never forgive him for the Kingdom and lives he destroyed."

Bakura only blinked at this accusation.

"However," Shaadi continued in the same fashion, "I am a servant of the Sennen Items and this is my role."

"I would _never_ betray the Pharaoh!" Shaada cried, panicked. "_I never will_!"

"Compose yourself, Shaada!" Kalim urged his friend, holding his arm.

Shaadi closed his eyes. If he felt anything, he did not show it. The man might as well have been an illusion. "My part has been played. I will leave now, Bakura."

"Right," Bakura grinned. "We'll take care of the rest."

Doom landed in Yugi brain. He clutched the Pharaoh harder.

As Shaadi faded into the shadows. Bakura held out his palm. And before any could react, shouted. "Malik. You know what to do."

Cold shadow power, quick and deadly, cut Yugi from the Pharaoh's side, flinging them apart in opposite directions.

Yugi cried out, but hit the ground so hard, his lungs were too shocked to breathe. He thought he sensed Jounouchi running after him, Kaiba at his side. But where was the Pharaoh? Where had he gone? The priests were asking themselves the same thing. Seth, Kalim, Shaada, and the legion of guards, they had all been separated from the Pharaoh.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Malik couldn't have stopped it. He had not been granted the knowledge by Ring-Bakura. How was he supposed to know his soulmate would fall that night?

Thief-Bakura was in his arms, body charred, soul destroyed with the remnants of Diaboundo, who was slowly burning in the sky. But Ra was gone. Surely Thief-Bakura could still make it! Yes! He had to!

"Come on," Malik cooed, stroking the white hair of the man he loved. It was singed, curling with black at the edges. His mouth gaping in a frozen scream. "Come on, sweetie. You gonna let a little sun drag you down like that, huh?"

_Let him burn. Let him rot._

"_Shut_ UP!" Malik shouted at himself. No, he would not surrender to his other side now. Not when his love needed him. "_Shut up_! I hate you! I _hate_ you!"

_Not as much as I love you._ The words crackled in his mind.

Malik had never felt so out of control. But he clung on. His soulmate needed him.

"Malik-kun."

A cool white hand landed on his. Ryou did that when he was concerned.

Malik wiped the frustrated moisture from his eyes. "I don't care about my job anymore, Ryou-kun. What if he… when I'm not here…"

Ryou's gentle hands guided Malik's face away from the Thief-Bakura. And the boy's eyes were large and kindly brown. "I know what to do, Malik-kun. I know what my other half requires me to do."

A knot twisted itself in Malik's throat. Oh Ryou, such a loyal follower of the voices in his head. Not even he knew what was going to happen tonight.

But he had hope.

"Remember," Ryou was still holding Malik's chin, "No one will die tonight."

So Malik, because he had no control, let Ryou lean over his soulmate, run a white hand over his soulmate's shoulders… "Your soul is still with me," the modern boy whispered. Then Ryou and his white mouth breathed on Thief-Bakura.

The Thief King's flesh shuddered, shaking off the charred skin. His mouth sunk and closed. In the sky, Diaboundo let out a triumphant cry as the last of the embers of Ra suffocated. Diaboundo was rippling with… new power.

Ryou was healing the Thief King with his soul, because like Yugi and the Pharaoh, these two were tied across millennia. Even as Malik watched, Ryou's pale skin seemed to dim. But the Thief King grew stronger, and in a few more moments his eyes opened. Diaboundo was practically fully formed again.

Malik was jealous. If only he could sacrifice his soul to save his soulmate.

_Is it my turn yet, main personality?_

Ryou was unconscious. And out of his limp arms rolled the Sennen Rod.

Malik didn't want it but felt his body flux even at the sight of it. His other personality was grabbing for dominance of Malik's increasingly weakening control.

The Thief King sat up. Holding the sleeping Ryou to his chest. He—Malik's _soulmate_—was back at full strength. Thanks to Ryou.

"Malik!" Spirit-Bakura called to him for the bottom of the hill, surrounded by their enemies, the people who had hurt the Thief King, "You know what to do."

Thief-Bakura's violet expectant eyes hurt. "What are you waiting for?"

And then the King of Thieves tossed the Sennen Rod at Malik. The moment the Item touched his skin, Malik was gone.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Jounouchi almost wished he was back in his prison cell. The moment Yugi and the Pharaoh were ripped apart, he knew shit was going down. This was not going to turn out well.

He hadn't seen where the Pharaoh had landed. Yugi was his priority anyway. So when his best friend flew through the air, Jounouchi ran after him. Just by luck, Kaiba was close behind.

"Yugi! Hey, man, are you ok?" Jounouchi held Yugi's head up. "Speak to me!"

"Jounouchi-kun," Yugi moaned, dazed. "Where's the Pharaoh?"

Jounouchi hesitated. But didn't have to answer because another cold blast of shadow power meant they were still in danger.

"Now, now, Malik, you really need to work on your aim."

That was Bakura, the other _evil_ Bakura. Apparently he had made it to Egypt as well. So where were the other regular people like him? Why was Jounouchi the only one here not connected to Egypt or magic? Or perhaps Honda and Anzu were hiding out somewhere around here…

Malik was no longer himself. Although the regular Malik was bad enough, the _other_ Malik, the one who had almost killed Mai, himself, and Yugi, was far worse. Jounouchi's insides quaked. Faced with these two villains did they even have a chance?

Evil Bakura, for the moment, did not look like he was in the killing mood, though he was egging evil Malik on. "It's been so long since your host allowed you to attack."

Evil Malik answered in animal snarls, his back arching like a cat.

"You got anything to hold them off with?" Jounouchi asked Kaiba, who was always beside him.

"I don't believe that will be necessary," Kaiba answered.

The priests and surrounding guards, desperate to reach their Pharaoh, who had all but disappeared now, charged to the only exit to the rock structure surrounding them, which happened to be blocked by evil Bakura and evil Malik.

There came a sickening cackle, followed by a blast of more shadow power that ruptured the priests' formation. Guards scattered like toys. And Evil Malik laughed and laughed.

"_Stop_!" Jounouchi cried. "You can't fight him like that!"

Seth was the only one who remained on his horse, with Kaiba-esque poise. "Who are these devils, Jounouchi? How can we defeat them?"

Jounouchi was startled, Kaiba had never asked him for assistance… "Um… well, he's Malik."

Seth twisted in his saddle, yes, he saw it. The Sennen Rod in Malik's hands. And his priestly expression froze as looked upon his Item in the villain's hands. "Why does this creature possess my holy Item and not my descendant?" Seth turned to Kaiba with fiery eyes.

Kaiba shrugged. "I do not meddle with the clinically insane."

"Descendant?" It was the evil Bakura again. "What an interesting question. Would you care to answer that, Malik?"

Evil Malik was crouched on the ground like a mad man, limbs contorted. The Sennen Rod stretched out toward them. "I don't think Ojii-chan would like to hear it. He might cry for shame." And that Malik dropped his jaw to laugh again.

"Ojii-chan?" Jounouchi repeated. What did that mean? Was Malik just trying to toy with them?

The anxiety was getting to Seth. An uncertainty that Kaiba had never shown, took hold of the priest.

Then, as Malik was rolling with wicked glee, a single horse broke for the exit, flashing past Malik even as the evil guy fired shadow magic at the animal. Bakura did not even blink as the horse, and its richly clothed rider, escaped in the direction of the Pharaoh.

Another priest with the Sennen Scales, shouted after his fellow. "_Shaada_!"

Evil Malik turned on his ally. "You allowed the Priest of the Key to get away! Was this not your plan to keep them all here?" the insane spirit spat, seething.

Evil Bakura looked cool, arms crossed and very uncaring. "It will be important for Shaada's character development. Besides he won't reach the Pharaoh before the Thief King does. That is the advantage of the Sennen Ring."

The priest will the Sennen Scales shook with fury. He looked like he too was about to make a suicide charge at the two villains though he had lost his horse in the scuffle.

"Wait, Kalim!" Seth ordered his fellow, "I will handle this, for the Pharaoh." And the priest of the Sennen Rod, thrust his Item into the air. "Guardian of the Gods! My Duos! Come forth!"

Yugi stirred in Jounouchi's arms. "_No_! Seth, don't use your soul-monster!" But his voice was already so weak…

Evil Malik was ready. He paid no attention to whatever Seth was doing with his Rod as, with surprising agility, the villain flitted past the priest's defenses and leapt from the ground onto Seth's horse. The animal spooked, causing both the priest and his attacker to tumble to the ground. Then a flash of gold, which Jounouchi knew meant the Evil Malik had drawn the Rod's blade…

Before he knew what he was doing—which was most of the time—Jounouchi had kicked off the sandy ground and launched himself at the two Rod-holders on the ground, shouting back at Kaiba, "Take care of Yugi!"

He slid into the mess just in time, as Evil Malik was raising his arm with the dagger into the air. Jounouchi collided with the villain, smashing into Seth as well. But Evil Malik had tumbled a fair distance away. And Seth, thinking quick, sent his own wave of shadow power after the evil maniac.

"Bakura!"

Jounouchi, still tumbled in the sand with Seth, looked up to see Yugi. Kaiba had followed the boy dutifully forward, in very un-Kaiba-like behavior, so that Yugi could confront Bakura.

"Why are doing this?" Yugi demanded. His limbs were all trembling, like he would collapse. "You are also one of souls that was destroyed in this ancient tragedy! Don't you want to avoid this horrible end? To save yourself?"

Evil Bakura smirked. "Save myself?" He crossed his arms in a superior stance. "You're thicker than I would have thought. Yugi, what do you think will happen if you avoid 'this ancient tragedy' that you speak of?"

Yugi's step faltered.

Jounouchi was still splayed on the ground with the priest. No one moved while the villain spoke. Evil Malik was knocked out cold.

"What would happen, Yugi?" and Evil Bakura's smirk was gone. "What if your other half's soul had never been sealed inside the Sennen Puzzle?"

Oh no. Jounouchi scrambled to his feet. "Yugi…"

But it was too late. Yugi was starting to understand… "No… no… I—"

"Do you wish you had never met your other half?" Evil Bakura said, with deadly calm, "Because that will be the price if you save the Pharaoh now."

Yugi was crippled. His eyes shining. Though Jounouchi took a hold of his friend's shoulders and held him up, it didn't help. Yugi's mind had broken.

And just when it seemed he would fall to pieces… the Sennen Puzzle blazed with golden light.

Jounouchi didn't know why this hadn't happened sooner. But the blond and Kaiba released Yugi and let the light of the Puzzle absorb his best friend's body. As the Other Yugi took hold.

This time his voice was strong. "_Bakura_!"

And a disturbance ran through the priests and guards. Yes, it was shocking. The Other Yugi did look exactly like the Pharaoh who had so recently disappeared. Even Seth had faltered at the sight of this twin of the Pharaoh, expression aghast.

"What?" Evil Bakura lifted a brow. "Had you not revealed this truth to your light yet, mou hitori no Pharaoh? Had he not even guessed? What were you planning on doing during the moment of your birth?"

"But—but that is…" Kalim was still fighting his horror.

Seth was aghast. "Impossible." He looked almost immature next to Kaiba's cool composure, as the CEO absorbed everything as a simple illusion.

Other Yugi looked even more like the Pharaoh as he gestured fiercely at the villain. "You had _no right_ to hurt him! Aibou truly believed he was saving the Pharaoh. He wanted to protect him! He thought that was his destiny!"

Evil Bakura laughed. "Destiny? He was fighting a war he could not win! But it matters not if he thought he was saving the Pharaoh or if he understands the truth now. It won't change a thing. History only has one path, and as _you_ can tell, mou hitori no Pharaoh," Evil Bakura looked at his nemesis pointedly, "History has already played out."

"And you know this for certain?" Other Yugi demanded. His confidence held.

Evil Bakura looked unconcerned. "I know, because I am. I'm all the evidence I need. I remember everything. Everything. I know how every event will play out." And he spoke with so much certainty that it was scary. "And I know the Pharaoh loses something very precious to him tonight."

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The Thief King had won. He knew he had won. Even as the compass pointers on his Thousand Year Ring quivered with anticipation, following the slow pace of the Pharaoh as he climbed up the cliff to confront the Thief. A futile move. Both Kings knew that the Pharaoh's link had been severed with his future-look-a-like-slut and therefore he had no power. They both knew the King of Egypt was climbing to his doom.

His future self was off distracting people, which was, despite the Thief King's grudges, bloody useful. So the guy had been around for a reason.

His future host however…

Diaboundo pulled at the Thief King in the darkness. The Ka-monster had gotten a taste of the pale boy's soul when Ryou had revived him. And now the Ka-god strained at the Thief King's will, thirsting for the future-boy who lay sleeping out of sight behind a ridge of rocks. And even as his Thousand Year Ring glowed tracking the Pharaoh's progress, the Thief King was _so_ very close to giving into Diaboundo's—and his own sex's—commands.

Didn't his future self know it was bad to leave his host to the whims of the King of Thieves? After he was done with the Pharaoh, if his future-self did not return… he would ravish the boy. It was too tempting.

But for the moment… the Pharaoh had arrived.

The King barely had the strength to cling to his horse. His tiny Pharaoh body shivered with weakness. And his voice quivered as he looked upon the King of Thieves, "…Bakura."

"I've been waiting for you, Oh-sama," the Thief King answered.

The Pharaoh squeezed his heels into his horse, it was all he could do to urge the animal forward, climbing to his death. "_Bakura_… stop hurting innocent people…"

"Your God is dead." the Thief was perfectly calm. He let the Pharaoh scramble towards him, ever closer. "You're future-copy's power has been severed from your body. You can do _nothing_. And so you lecture me?"

"You can hurt me," the Pharaoh continued, delirious, sick. The reins of his horse were slipping in his sweaty hands. "But don't you dare hurt my people anymore…"

"Look," the Thief King interrupted the King's pathetic words. "See your palace? Squatting on your throne, throwing power around with the wave of your hand, have you ever even seen the outside of your city before tonight? Have you ever left your palace's comfy walls before?"

Except his rasping breath, the Pharaoh for once said nothing.

The King of Thieves grinned. "I'm right. Such a pitiful ruler. How can you claim to protect your people when you've never _seen_ them?"

"Bakura—"

No. The Pharaoh was not allowed to speak now. "To a thief, anything that you can see can be stolen. Power, this city, human lives, even this view of your glorious city." The Thief swung his horse around, and laughter screamed through his body. What a rich night this was! "What is a king, Pharaoh? Is it just the person who owns the most wealth? In that case a King of Thieves is more suited to be the King of Kings, don't you think, _Pharaoh_?"

"You haven't stolen anything," the Pharaoh, withering as he was in his saddle, said, "You don't own people's lives. You're only destroying them."

The Thief King scoffed. "If only your words mattered. But sadly, I've already won."

And at the Thief's command, Diaboundo leapt from his hiding place beneath the ground, tearing out the cliff as he came. The rock fissured between the Thief King and the King of Egypt; the ground below the Pharaoh fell away. And with the scream of his royal horse, the Pharaoh fell to his death.

Or would have.

If a streak of pale skin and white hair hadn't sprung at the crumbling cliff, throwing out his arms to the falling King.

Luckily Ryou had hooked his legs around a dying tree, or else the weight of the Pharaoh in his arms would have dragged both the future-boy and the King of Egypt into a fatal drop.

The Thief King was shocked, then furious.

"I've—got you—" Ryou gasped through strained lips.

The Pharaoh's eyes were wide, locked onto his rescuer. "What are you…"

"Yugi would never forgive me—" Ryou flinched as the rocky edge dug into his stomach, "—if I let you fall." His thin body was stretched over the cliff; the boy couldn't take the strain for long.

Before Diaboundo could leap for Ryou and devour the boy, the Thief King went to cliff and grabbed the future-boy by his luscious hair. "You bloody _traitor_! How will your precious Ring-spirit feel about you _now_?"

Ryou clenched his jaw, eyes squeezed tight in pain. _And yet_ he clung to the Pharaoh…

Fury aside, the Thief took his opportunity. "Well, thanks to you, _whore_—" he jerked Ryou's hair, hard. The boy yelped. "I can get my Item." And the Thief ripped Thousand Year Puzzle from around the Pharaoh's neck. "_Say goodbye_," he spat in Ryou's ear. And the King of Thieves kicked the Pharaoh in the face, ripping him from Ryou's arms.

The Pharaoh, King of Egypt, fell to his death.

And the Thief howled with laughter.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Though the spirit of the Ring was not facing the cliff, he knew when he heard the rock collapse that the Thief had shoved the Pharaoh to his death.

It was time to go back to his Yadonushi.

The two priests, their guards, Jounouchi, Kaiba, and Yami no Yugi saw the cliff crack in two. As the rockslide crumbled, Yami no Yugi's clever mind reached the correct conclusion.

"What has happened, Bakura?" the spirit of the Puzzle screamed. "What have you done? _Where_ is the Pharaoh?"

"Ask Shaada. He saw everything," the spirit of the Ring answered. The clue was insignificant. It would not change history, only give these pawns' thoughts the proper direction. Then the Ring spirit made his escape. He jumped down to the unconscious Malik, grabbed the Egyptian teenager's arm and said in his ear, "It's time for us to leave, don't you think?"

The priests, Seth and Kalim, saw what he was about to do. They were going to try to stop him. The Ring spirit was not worried. As their two dark magic attacks came toward him, Bakura used the power of the Sennen Eye in his pocket to slip away, hiding his and Malik's sight from view. Not even Pegasus had discovered _that_ secret of the Eye.

As the spirit of the Ring climbed the cliff to meet his Yadonushi again, he heard shouts from the priests behind him. "Find Shaada!" Seth cried to his remaining guards. "Check out the cliffs for any sign of the Pharaoh! _Go_!"

They would not find the Pharaoh. None of them would.

At this time… the Ring spirit traced the timeline in his head. The Thief had killed the Pharaoh. Then… The spirit of the Ring cursed his almost-omniscient knowledge. He had to hurry. He knew, at that moment, the Thief had his hands around Yadonushi's throat.

And so it was that when the spirit of the Sennen Ring reached the top of the cliff, the Thief was choking Bakura Ryou with one hand, yanking him by the hair in the other. "Who's side do you think you're on, _huh_? What kind of stunt was that? You _want_ to die?"

The three-millennium old spirit dropped Malik's body so he could have his hands free to punish his past-self. "Do _you_, thief?" the Ring spirit growled.

Though the boy was rapidly running out of air, Yadonushi's eyes were on the spirit almost instantly. The Thief turned as well. And the spirit triggered the Ring on Yadonushi's chest to blast the Thief back fifteen feet.

Yami no Bakura watched his past-self crash into the ground. Then a soft body threw itself against the spirit of the Ring.

Yadonushi…

The spirit let Bakura Ryou press all of his weight into him. Their two bodies, Yadonushi's real, the spirit's an illusion, collided. It was unusual for Yadonushi to act this way, to show fear. Before all the fear had been tucked away in his mind. What was the mortal boy's mind like now? Chaos? The spirit didn't know, he could no longer access it.

Did he want to? Did he long for that clarity again?

For now, Yadonushi gasped into his illusionary shoulder, the boy's arms curled against his own chest.

The spirit of the Ring hadn't remembered this. He wondered why…

"Back together again." The Thief spat, wrenching himself from the ground. Though his soul had been revived by Yadonushi, his body was exhausted. "The _happy_ couple."

The Ring spirit wrapped his arms around Yadonushi.

The Thief fumed, his deathly jealousy aglow. But it was better not to push him too much.

"Get Malik," the spirit ordered, pulling Yadonushi closer and turning to the path back down the cliff. "We're heading back." They wouldn't meet any of the palace guards, though the hills were crawling with them. Perhaps that was fate.

"Why don't you _make_ me take him?" the Thief sneered.

"Fine," Bakura paid his past-self no mind. "Leave him."

"No," Yadonushi said. He lifted his head up from Bakura's chest. "I won't leave him. I can carry him…"

No, Yadonushi couldn't, he didn't have enough strength after reviving the Thief. But because he had suggested to…

The Thief grunted. "Whatever." In one motion, the Thief swung Malik's body onto his back. His pride had overcome exhaustion.

Yadonushi turned back to the spirit. His body was trembling. It should not have been surprising, as Yami no Bakura remember his Yadonushi had just saved the Thief King and then attempted to rescue the Pharaoh, though neither parties deserved it.

Though the night had gone exactly as the Ring spirit had seen, not a single scene out of place, he felt regret. If only he could have tried to plan the night without involving Yadonushi. He could have stopped the Pharaoh before he had destroyed Diaboundo the first time, then Yadonushi would have never been needed. Yadonushi could have been spared this awful night.

But no, the spirit of the Ring had tried to bypass the plot of histoy before. When they had first arrived in Egypt, he had tried to coordinate it so he would never meet the Thief, it would have spared Yadonushi a lot of pain… But fate had brought them together anyway. No, this was the only way. Besides, the spirit of the Ring let his hand drift up into Yadonushi's hair… if Yadonushi needed comfort…

He would never leave his Yadonushi. Never. And none of Yugi's ignorant interferences would keep them apart.

By the time their party reached the shack again, dawn was breaking.

The Thief locked the unconscious Malik up in the chains attached to the wall. "I didn't get your Eye."

The spirit of the Ring was guiding Yadonushi to his papyrus mat. "Is that so?"

"I have the Pharaoh's Puzzle instead." And he strung the Thousand Year Puzzle on top of the Ring on his chest. "A much better prize, don't you think, spirit?" the Thief growled. The Thief shoved Malik's limp body back against the wall with glee. "Does this not mean I changed fate?"

"If you want to believe so." The spirit did not care for his past-self's bragging. He knew very well the Thief had put a piece of his soul into the Thousand Year Eye to control the old priest. All according to plan. How boring.

The Thief's shoulders tensed like an animal. Yes, he could not win. It was impossible for a being living only in the past. And the Thief was so angry that he grabbed Malik's unconscious form and stuffed him under his head like a pillow.

Yadonushi tugged at his wrist.

The spirit crouched next to the mortal boy. "Sleep."

"I won't." Yadonushi had large brown eyes. The spirit had never seen them out of the body before, so close…

The Ring spirit looked away. He could not deny that there was a tug, that ghostly pull. Not to the Sennen Ring, but to his Yadonushi. He thought it would be easier, being separated from the boy's body and mind, but no. His yearning was now a hundred-fold worse.

Yadonushi had a hold of his arm. In his eyes shined his yearning as well…

But the spirit's illusionary body was growing tired. A Ka-illusion could not be out so long. The night's activities had already put a strain on the Ring… soon the illusion-body would need to rest.

What did it matter? What did the spirit care for the Ring's resources? When before him was such a creature with brown eyes—No. No now, he needed his strength for the battles ahead.

But the spirit of the Sennen Ring lowered himself onto the papyrus. Yadonushi scooted over so both their reclined bodies could fit on the mat, one real, one illusionary, side-by-side. And the spirit pulled himself close to his Yadonushi though not so close that they were touching. "Now. You will sleep," he ordered.

Yadonushi blinked. "How can I?"

But within five minutes the mortal boy had shut his eyes, his breathing slowed.

And when the spirit was sure the boy was in a deep slumber, he released his Ka-form and returned to the inside of the Ring. His body of gold.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Aibou was unreachable.

The moment Bakura disappeared, the spirit of the Puzzle had launched himself at the boy's door. But the handle was stuck, the mechanics unusable.

Aibou was unreachable.

Aibou was…

The spirit of the Puzzle pressed him palms into the soulroom door. If only… but he would never invade his light's privacy. No… but… /Aibou…/

There was no answer.

The spirit wallowed.

His turmoil was interrupted by a hand on Yugi Mutou's physical shoulder.

It was Jounouchi. "Come back to earth, Yugi."

While the spirit was trying to coax aibou into consciousness, Shaada had been found. His horse had broken its leg while he had been trying to search for the Pharaoh among the wreckage of the rockslide. The priest had indeed seen the Pharaoh fall. Yami no Yugi saw the point from which the Pharaoh had fallen. At that height… no one could have survived. And yet, they had found no body.

"The priests are trying to get us put away," Jounouchi growled. Indeed, Kalim and Shaada were glowering at the three modern teenagers with immense distrust. The Egyptians were convinced that the spirit of the Puzzle was a demon who had stolen the face of their Pharaoh.

"This business does not matter." Seth alone seemed, after the first initial shock, unconcerned with Yami no Yugi's appearance. Perhaps that was because he too had a modern copy, or perhaps because he seemed to trust Jounouchi's word. "I will return to the palace," Priest Seth said to his fellows. "I must check on Akhenaden's injuries, and someone must inform the councilors on what has transpired here tonight."

"Yes, but," Shaada's eyes shot to Jounouchi, Kaiba, and Yami no Yugi especially. "What are we to do with them? Arrest them?"

Jounouchi stepped forward. "Why? We've done nothing but help you guys!"

Kaiba dragged Jounouchi back by his hair. "Calm down."

But the blond only became more enraged. He shoved Kaiba's hand away and rounded on the priests. "_Look_. Shut it, you pompous freaks! Yugi's on the Pharaoh's side! He's the last guy you should be fighting! He didn't create this mess."

"Then who did?" Shaada asked. "The trouble only began when you pale-skins fell from the sky? You brought the wrath of the gods upon us!"

"How can you presume to know what your gods want?" Kaiba said, with artistic cruelty. "Have talked to them recently?"

"Insolence!" Kalim cried.

"That is enough," Seth said, and his fellow priests shut their mouths. "These pale-skins at least have done no direct action against the Kingdom. And after the events of last night," Seth's blue eyes flashed to Yami no Yugi, "I can't say they don't support the Pharaoh's mission. I see no reason to lock them up. If they irritate you, ignore them."

Shaada and Kalim for the moment backed down. It was odd, the spirit of the Puzzle pondered, how this Seth had such charisma, enough to equal Kaiba's certainly. And yet… Obviously they were different, as the spirit and the Pharaoh were. Kaiba appeared cold, but his ultimate actions were always chivalrous. Seth appeared chivalrous… the spirit of the Puzzle had yet to figure out the core intensions of his actions.

"For now, I return to the palace." And Seth reined in his horse.

Jounouchi jumped forward again. "I'm going too!"

"What do you have to tend to at the capital?" Kaiba scoffed.

Jounouchi frowned. "I got business, ok? Not that I don't want to look for Yugi—" Shaada and Kalim's face flashed with disgust. "I mean, ah, the Pharaoh. Cause I do, but I don't really know what I can do."

"Do what you want," Seth said. "But you're on your own once we arrive."

"I'm going with the idiot," Kaiba said. And his blue eyes met Seth's for an instant, as though a battle wills were raging.

Jounouchi was surprised. "You don't have to."

"Do you not want my company?" Kaiba demanded.

Jounouchi gaped. "I didn't say that!"

"You certainly didn't answer the question," Kaiba answered.

Jounouchi frowned. And to avoid an argument more than anything, the blond turned to the spirit of the Puzzle. "What about you, Yugi? What will you do?"

Shaada and Kalim were watchful.

"I cannot return to the palace," Yami no Yugi answered. "Not without the Pharaoh."

"You care for his existence?" Kalim accused. "Why should you? Have you not taken enough of his power, demon?"

Jounouchi about to jump the priest, but this time the spirit of the Puzzle held out an arm. "It's alright, Jounouchi." Yami no Yugi hardened his heart. After losing aibou, the spirit was _not_ in the mood to play nice. "I know nothing of demons, but I know this: the Pharaoh must be alive, because his time has not come. He still has much to accomplish. And I am not going to rest until he is found because that is what aibou would do." And the spirit of the Puzzle turned to the priests, men who were both taller, older, and more powerful than himself. "The Pharaoh and I are connected. I was him, he will be me, I was sent here for a reason. And I cannot believe that it is simply to observe fate as it destroys hundreds of lives. I will help the Pharaoh save this city and, hopefully, himself."

The priests were silent. Even Seth.

"Though I am not Bakura, and I remember nothing of my past, I have not lost hope," the spirit of the Puzzle finished. "I will assist you priests in any way possible."

Kalim turned to his fellow priests.

"I don't know what to make of you foreigners," Shaada answered, his eyes clear. "But for the moment we have a common goal." He was nothing like the ghost of the man Shaadi. Yami no Yugi could not guess what force was going to turn this man's life into such a tragedy.

"You can stay then," Kalim granted Yami no Yugi, grudgingly. "For the moment."

Seth took his turn at Yami no Yugi. "I have already said my piece to your other half. My loyalty is to the Pharaoh and the Pharaoh only. Enemies to his Kingdom are my enemies."

"Who do you hold higher?" Kaiba asked. "Your Pharaoh or the Kingdom?"

"They are the same," Seth answered. "Do not try to confuse me with your alien logic."

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest.

"So," Jounouchi looked concerned. "Yugi's not… answering yet?"

The spirit of the Puzzle's stomach dropped. His heart ached. The blow Bakura had delivered to Yugi had been too great. Perhaps…

"No," Yami no Yugi said. "But when the Pharaoh is found. I'm sure Yugi will want to see him."

Jounouchi nodded awkwardly. Maybe he could sense some of the problematic triangle that the spirit of the Puzzle, Yugi, and the Pharaoh were stuck in.

Seth reached for his horse. "We will be off then. I will be back with more troops tomorrow for the search."

Horses were brought around for Jounouchi and Kaiba. It was nice of Seth to get Jounouchi a horse. He got one for Kaiba too but only when Kaiba tried to get behind Jounouchi on his horse.

"The animal wouldn't survive your combined weight," Seth said.

Jounouchi reached down from his horse and grabbed Yami no Yugi's hand in a manly shake. "I'm sorry to leave but…" the blond gulped, "I know you'll find him."

"Yes, it is inevitable, if your sense of the timeline is true," Kaiba said. He sat in the saddle like he owned the animal. "The Pharaoh, if he has any of your likeness, will not be brought down in such a mundane way."

"My thoughts exactly," the spirit of the Puzzle said, oddly touched by Kaiba's words.

And before their horses turned back toward the palace, Yami no Yugi saw Kaiba swallow before ripping his eyes away from the spirit of the Puzzle. But Yami no Yugi was too weighted down by his own troubles to analyze this action. He watched Kaiba, Jounouchi, and Seth leave for the palace, as he was left with two suspicious priests, the desert, and nothing in his head but silence.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Hey guys! I haven't forgotten about you! Only for a little while. There's really no use in apologizing because I'll only do it again before this story is done.

STILL SO EXCITING! But we're splitting up into even more story lines now. Hope you're ready for it! We got a big summer ahead of us.

**REVIEW!**

Fyi, the "Ruler of Shadows" that the title is referring to, its Bakura. _My_ Bakura. The pale, too awesome, BAMF one.

**REVIEW!**


	14. Ripples in the Darkness

Merry Summer!

It's been so long since I've seen the actual show I think I'm making things up sometimes. Nah. Couldn't be…

Yes, I know this title doesn't make sense! You'd be surprised on how little I have to work with.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 14: Ripples in the Darkness**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Ryou woke with the sun to find the other half his papyrus matt was empty. As empty as the other half of his mind…

Seeing as there was no rush, Ryou didn't get up for a while, instead he watched the shadows shorten as the sun spun into the sky. After a while Ryou felt the call of his stomach and thought it might be a good idea to see how Malik had faired after the excitement of last night. So Ryou pulled his body from the floor and stumbled to his feet…

Ryou was so out of it that it took him a few seconds to recognize the two entwined figures on the floor next to the entryway.

Malik had been chained up again, for safety's sake. The guy was sprawled across the Dorobo's body, his chained hands tucked around one of the Thief's arms, his legs curled across Dorobo's stomach. The two had slept, probably only _slept_, with each other all night.

But then the moment was ruined when Dorobo opened his eyes.

And Ryou was reminded of the previous night when he had dived to save the Pharaoh… There were bruises on his arm from where Dorobo had gripped him too tightly.

For a moment the two of them were still staring at each other, Ryou standing, Dorobo on the ground with Malik curled up on top him.

Then Malik made a gurgling sound at the back of his throat and twitched. And Ryou headed for the front door and out of the house. Behind him was a distinct _thump_. Dorobo had tossed off the dozing Malik to follow him out of the shack. Ryou wasn't flattered.

The Thief King had snuck up on him; Ryou hadn't even known he was so close until he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Ryou."

Ryou turned, taking a couple steps backward to distance himself from the Thief. "You should get back to Malik, Dorobo-san."

"He's asleep, doesn't even know I've gone."

Ryou shook his head. No, Malik was awake. He'd probably been awake the whole night.

Dorobo looked glowing in the midday sun. Tossed white hair, only his lone wrinkled schenti as clothing. The Thief King was looking particularly victorious with the Puzzle laying on top of the Ring around his neck. Ryou was so distracted by the Items that he let the Thief reach out and touch his face.

"Don't." Not again. Ryou moved away, hand to the Sennen Ring on his own chest. "He'll come out and—"

"He's run out of energy," Dorobo said. But he wasn't full of his usual pompous attitude this time. "A Ka-based-illusion can't stay out forever, you know. He tired himself out last night talking, strutting around, coddling you. Your savior'll be out for just long enough, I think."

Ryou didn't know if this was the truth. But Dorobo was acting strange, and he had reached for Ryou again, his fingers drifting along Ryou's arm. Until they reached the bruises Dorobo had made the night before.

"You were being stupid last night," Dorobo said, and he held up Ryou's arm, showing off the bruises. "I won't apologize for these."

Ryou remained silent. Even if he tried to run, Dorobo would only get more enthusiastic.

Dorobo squeezed Ryou's arm, though not as hard as he had the night before. "Who's side are you on, Ryou?"

Why was Dorobo using his name? "I'm on mou hitori no boku's side." Ryou touched his Ring again.

"_Well_," Dorobo's face tightened, "Since he's on _my_ side, I'll appreciate it if you try not to screw up our plans, ok?"

Ryou said nothing.

"Why are you even here?" Dorobo had not released him. "Why are any of you pale-faced modern idiots even here?"

"I don't know," Ryou said. It was the truth.

"This whole ordeal would be a lot simpler without you."

"I agree," Ryou answered.

Dorobo snarled. "So why you_, _huh? Why _you_?"

"I don't know." Then there was an odd sensation on Ryou's leg. A cool scaly feeling twisting its way up Ryou's ankle, tightening as it traveled upwards. Ryou chanced a glance down but saw nothing.

"Why do you smell…" Dorobo's face faltered. And his hand squeezed Ryou's arm just as the twisting thing was squeezing Ryou's leg, ever tighter. "Why am I…" And with his other hand Dorobo gripped his skull, as though he suddenly had a headache. "Do you hard _any_ idea how _hard_ this is, Ryou?"

Ryou got the feeling something else was going on. "Dorobo-san… are you alright?"

"_Obviously_, I'm not alright!" he snapped. He was gripping his own head as hard as he was holding on to Ryou's arm, as hard as the _thing_ was twisting Ryou's leg. Ryou was being pulled in multiple directions. And he wasn't sure if it was Dorobo's fault anymore.

"Dorobo-san," Ryou, against his common sense, touched the Thief King's shoulder to try to get his attention. "Sit down, ok? Breathe."

"It's probably not so good to touch me right now," Dorobo hissed through his teeth.

Ryou pulled away as well as he could with Dorobo still gripping his arm and the inability to use one of his legs. "What's going on? Talk to me."

Dorobo shook himself like a dog. His face downcast, the muscles in his body were flexing with the tension. Still he let out a harsh single laugh. "I'm trying _not_ to kill you. Don't know why exactly—you'd deserve it—"

Ryou gulped. So he's actual life was in danger now. This was new. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just—" Dorobo twitched. "Stop talking."

Ryou closed his mouth. But his foot was going numb and new bruises would appear over the old ones on his arm if Dorobo continued like this. Ryou tried to remain still.

That thing strangling his leg, it could have been a snake…

But then he was jerked forward and both of the Dorobo's arms closed around him, his whole body was being squeezed now. What must have been a snake, though Ryou could not see it anymore, had slithered up his leg and was now circling his rib cage. And the Dorobo was covering as much of Ryou as he could, his panting mouth right next to Ryou's ear. Whatever Dorobo was doing to stop himself from losing control, it wasn't working.

Ryou didn't know what he did or how, but he closed his eyes and reached out of the Dorobo's stronghold and his hand found the scaly head of the snake. His fingertips fluttered over its nostrils, the length of a poison fang.

And then Ryou was slammed against the ground. Dorobo on top of him.

"Let me have you."

And Ryou realized that the Thief King was begging.

"I'm sorry," Ryou said. He wasn't even quite sure what to 'have' him would imply. Eating and then death or sex and then death. Either seemed likely. "I can't."

Dorobo at least seemed calmer. The snake was gone, and Dorobo was looking Ryou in the eyes. He was still trembling but that might have been for a different reason. "Please. Just give up and let me have you."

"You don't even like me," Ryou said.

The Thief's body shook when he snorted. "_That's_ true."

"You like Malik."

"_I_ do," Dorobo admitted. "But Diaboundo has made it _so_ clear that he only wants you. If you hadn't been so _touchy_ with him before maybe this wouldn't have happened!"

"Oh." Was that why the spirit of the Ring had always told him not to touch the snake? All because of Ryou's unrelenting curiosity…

"You should have never given me your soul," Dorobo said. "Diaboundo enjoyed it too much. It's very _distracting_."

"I wasn't going to let you die," Ryou argued.

Dorobo gave Ryou a look. "You weren't going to let your precious other soul die, you mean."

"I don't have to love you to want you to live."

Dorobo frowned again. He still hadn't moved. "You don't love me?"

Ryou wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know. I love—"

"My future self, right?" Dorobo finished for him. "Yes, _everyone_ knows that. We all get it already! And it's getting a little sickening, you know?"

Heat rose in Ryou's cheeks.

Dorobo let out an exasperated sigh, and he pulled himself off his elbows. "Doomed, doomed, doomed, my life was better without complications." And he rolled over off of Ryou.

Ryou sat up and watched Dorobo flick sand off his skin. "Dorobo-san, why do you want the Items?"

The Thief stood up to his full height. "Shut it. There's nothing to tell."

Ryou was disappointed. But in an odd way, he thought his and Dorobo's relationship had grown… even in a positive way.

"Ask my future-self. He knows everything, right?" Dorobo suggested, arranging the two Sennen Items around his neck.

"I can't," Ryou said immediately.

Dorobo rolled his eyes. "_Of course_ you can't." And he headed back into the shack. "Guess it will just have to be a mystery."

Ryou sat there for a few more minutes outside, watching the sand swirl in the beating sun. After a second or two, Malik pretended to wake up so he could join Dorobo for breakfast. Who knew how he would react after overhearing Ryou and Dorobo's conversation. Ryou sat outside and let them have their meal alone.

Meanwhile, Ryou wondered how long it would take for a Ka-illusion to regenerate.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

The moment Seth, Jounouchi, and Kaiba, arrived at the Pharaoh's palace again, they split off, Jounouchi dragging Kaiba off in the opposite direction Seth had turned to. Of course, Jounouchi could have asked for Seth's help—things would probably move more smoothly if he did—but he didn't think their friendship was strong enough yet.

"You'll get arrested within the day, no matter what kind of trickery you two are up to," Seth warned, as servants took his, Jounouchi's, and Kaiba's horses to the royal stables. Even the servants looked at Kaiba and Jounouchi strangely, skidding away almost immediately, eyeing their glaring pale skin in the fierce Egyptian sun. They were noticeable. Jounouchi would have to deal with that. It didn't help that everyone went around half naked in Egypt, covering up was deathly in this heat, costumes would only make them look suspicious.

"Aw, don't worry about us," Jounouchi waved away all concern. "Our future-enhanced brains will pull us out of any predicament."

"Right," Kaiba said as pessimistic as always. "Let's go."

So Seth the priest went off to do priestly things, while Jounouchi and Kaiba snuck off in the direction of some buildings Jounouchi hoped he remembered.

"Where are we going, Jounouchi?" Kaiba asked.

Jounouchi peeked around a corner and saw a guard coming with a very pointy-looking spear. He pulled Kaiba into a shadowy nook, hoping the guard would pass. "We're… going somewhere."

"It looks as though we're heading back to that dungeon I rescued you from," Kaiba guessed-oh-so-correctly.

Jounouchi grinned sheepishly. "No… why would we do that?" And he twisted around the corner to turn left.

Kaiba gave the blond a look. "The dungeon is the other way."

"Oh." And Jounouchi turned down the right path. He had taken a couple of paces before he realized Kaiba wasn't behind him. "Come on, the guard will be back…"

But the CEO didn't move. "What are you planning, idiot?"

"What I have to do, _Kaiba_," Jounouchi said. But when the brunet didn't move, Jounouchi sighed. "You don't get it."

"In that, at least, you are correct," Kaiba bit.

Now his attitude was getting to Jounouchi. "I have to save her."

Kaiba's face was stony. "Your girlfriend?"

"Her name is Kisara!" Jounouchi argued. But that was probably not the best thing to say. "…and she's not my girlfriend."

"Yes." Kaiba was not pleased. "You might as well tie yourself up and leave your body at the guards' front steps. You are basically achieving the same thing by breaking into the dungeon again. There is no way you're getting out again."

"_I_'ll figure something out." Jounouchi had not missed how Kaiba's words had switched from "us" to "you". "So you're not coming with me?"

Kaiba's mighty façade faltered. "You need a better plan."

"She doesn't have time for a better plan!"

"_You_ don't know that," Kaiba said.

_God_, why did Kaiba make Jounouchi so angry! "It doesn't matter! You didn't see her, ok? She's—she's—"

"She's what? Pretty?"

Shit. Jounouchi swallowed. Kaiba was taking this the wrong way. No this was not what he meant at all. "She's not well, ok?"

Kaiba grew colder. "She's also not our problem."

"She's _my_ problem," Jounouchi said. "I can't explain it. She's just… she's like my sister, ok?"

"Your _sister_?" Kaiba's voice was beyond sarcasm. "What kind of relationship do you keep with your sister?"

"She needs my help!" Jounouchi cried. "God, Kaiba! Stop being such an asshole!"

No. Jounouchi couldn't stop himself. This isn't what he wanted at all. He wanted Kaiba to come with him. Kaiba was smarter than him and he knew that as long as Kaiba came everything would be ok. Kaiba could get them out of everything. As long as Kaiba was there… Jounouchi was screwing up already.

Jounouchi breathed. He should apologize. "Look, I'm sor—"

"No." Kaiba wasn't going to let this pass. And for some reason he was angry, real angry. Jounouchi hadn't seen Kaiba this furious unless Mokuba was in danger. "Don't let this _asshole_ prevent you from going on your suicide mission."

"_Fuck_, Kaiba, I didn't ask you to come!" Jounouchi snapped. "I can't help it if you followed me here!"

That was it. Jounouchi had done it. Now, he had lost Kaiba completely. Jounouchi couldn't even look him in the eye.

He had never seen Kaiba speechless before. Maybe he was just so angry that he couldn't speak. Either way, Jounouchi watched as Kaiba turned, with as much dignity as possible, and marched off.

Leaving Jounouchi hollow.

And very much unprotected.

Jounouchi breathed, hand over his eyes. Chanting to himself, "I'm so screwed, I'm so screwed, I'm _so_ screwed," over and over again. After a couple of minutes of that Jounouchi remembered his mission. At least now Kaiba wouldn't suffer the same punishments at the hands of the guards that he inevitably would. Kaiba would be safe. Convincing himself that this had been his plan all along, Jounouchi dashed away.

Jounouchi managed to find the dungeon. And lucky for him there weren't even any guards outside of it, or on the first level, or on the second. In fact, there weren't any prisoners either. The cells were completely empty. Fear rolled in Jounouchi's stomach. What if all the prisoners had been relocated? Jounouchi nearly fell down the stairs to get to the third level below ground, the level he and Kisara had been kept.

There was a guard. Only one. Who turned very confused into Jounouchi's fist. His skull smashed into the bars of cell behind him, and the guard fell to the floor, dazed and weak. The cell that contained a white-haired, white-skinned female, with the bluest eyes Jounouchi had ever seen.

Almost as blue as Kaiba's.

Kisara lifted her head. "Jounouchi…"

Jounouchi breathed. "You remember me? Good. I'm going to get you out of here, Kisara. Just you wait."

Kisara did not smile or look excited to be out at all. "You came back…?"

Jounouchi shook the lock on her cell door. The solid metal didn't budge. The sinking feeling in his stomach told him he hadn't thought this through. "I'm going to set you free. So you can look for that person you have to protect!"

But as Jounouchi started kicking at the metal lock, he saw Kisara shaking her head. "But I need to be here. The person I have to protect is here too."

"_What_?" All that work… that fight with Kaiba for nothing. Jounouchi fell to his knees. He didn't realize how much he had been shaking until now. "But—but I know I have to save you." He felt it, when he looked at Kisara, when he thought of her. She was important. And even though Jounouchi knew it was strange he couldn't help but… think of her. "What's happening to me?"

Jounouchi jumped when Kisara took his hands away from the bars. "You're following your senses," she explained. "Don't worry. We're both supposed to be here. Just maybe not for the reason you think."

Jounouchi didn't get it. Looking into her blue-blue eyes… none of this made sense. "What are you talking about—"

But at that moment. Jounouchi's vision went out like a light. The pain came next but by the time he figured out that the guard who had been attending Kisara's cell had woken up, three other guards had already surrounded him.

And then while Jounouchi was blinking stars out of his eyes, he caught some of their conversation.

"—escaped. Only last night—"

"Take him too. Gebelk wants _all_ the prisoners—"

Jounouchi saw the men reach for Kisara and noticed that she didn't fight before he blacked out.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

"I'll check the northern face," Kalim had said, taking five of the remaining guards with him. So Shaada stayed, to check again and again the place where the Pharaoh's body should have been. But it was nowhere in sight. The King's soldiers were all over the area. The place had been checked multiple times. It was passed the time to accept that they weren't going to find anything.

Shaada found the demon— the man with the Pharaoh's face— at the base of the cliff. He had been there all day. He hadn't looked around the cliffs at all, even though he said he would help with the search. He was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, with the _other_ Thousand Year Puzzle in his lap. His face was tense as though he were thinking about something very hard. Shaada had never seen such an unhelpful meditation.

"You sit in the shade all day and call that help?" Shaada accused.

The man with the Pharaoh's face flinched before his eyes snapped open. "I am trying to find him." And there was the same fire that was in the Pharaoh's eyes when he spoke, only this demon's eyes were… harder. "I have been able to sense others hearts with the Puzzle before. So I should be able to pick up his Sennen Puzzle with mine…"

Shaada crossed his arms. "The Pharaoh does not have his Puzzle anymore."

The imposter's— what was his name? Yugi?— face fell into an expression Shaada had never seen on the Pharaoh's face before. It was drained. "…what?"

"The Pharaoh's Puzzle was taken by Bakura. I saw it happen."

For a moment Shaada thought the man with the Pharaoh's face would be sick—

"Dammit!" Both of his fists slammed into the ground. "_Dammit_!"

Shaada took a step back. Never had he seen the Pharaoh—_not_ the Pharaoh—so furious. So out of control…

The man, Yugi, bent over, face to the dirt. "_Dammit_!" He was screaming. "I've been looking for the Puzzle for _hours_. Obviously I couldn't find it—if I wasn't… I should have known…" His shoulders were shaking.

Shaada fought the pity he was feeling towards the imposter. "I should have told you."

"No." The man was recovering his composure. "You have no reason to trust me." And he pulled himself to his feet. His body screamed defeat. His expression… "I apologize. You alone witnessed the Pharaoh's fall. You must have a weight on your heart as well, Shaada."

The man, Yugi, knew his name. And he spoke as though he cared. Shaada was once again shocked by these pale-skins. "Yes, I saw Bakura cause the Pharaoh's fall but… there was another person on that cliff."

Yugi faced him, and Shaada caught the full sorrow in the man's eyes. Shaada couldn't stand it so he looked away.

"Another pale-skin, with white hair, tried to catch the Pharaoh before he fell."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Bakura? But that's not impossible…"

"Indeed, it looked rather like him. But Kalim said the pale-Bakura did not leave until after the fall. Regardless," Shaada said. "My initial impression of you foreigners might have been… misplaced."

He could feel Yugi's stare on him. "Thank you, Shaada. That is all I can ask."

The priest of the Key did not know what to think. First this man was completely unlike the Pharaoh in that he felt too much rage… now, he was showing a degree of compassion Shaada had never seen in their newest Pharaoh. Who was this man, this Yugi? The man did not even wait for Shaada to acknowledge him, but settled back down at the base of the cliff.

"If I may," Shaada voiced.

Yugi turned, so much more approachable. "Yes?"

"Who is this Shadi? How did he come to be?" It was the question that weighted upon the priest the most.

There was an essence about the man called Yugi that made him seem so much older than the adolescent body he was trapped in. "There was a time when I believed he was a friend. He assisted us many times." Then the man's face hardened. "I can't imagine what has turned him to perform as he did last night. I'm sorry. This is all I know of him. Shadi has always been a mystery."

Shaada was not relieved. He bowed his head to Yugi. "I shall leave you to your search then." And the priest left, clutching the Thousand Year Key on his chest.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Seth stormed out of the receiving hall, the buzzing of ignorant courtiers spinning around his skull. "May they receive the gods ill favor, and have their kin's bodies left in the open to rot!" It was infuriating.

Akhenaden was there to meet him outside the hall. Despite Kalim's report that the older priest had sustained several broken bones and severe bruising the night before, Seth's mentor looked well. Apparently he had made a full recovery; in fact he looked more invigorated than ever. Kalim must have been mistaken.

"Those fools! Do they not realize how serious a situation this is?" The wave of Seth's fury made all servants flee the room. "And they called themselves the Pharaoh's advisors. Hypocrites! They _dare_ to grant me no more than twenty men for another search party! The Pharaoh must be alive. If we lose faith that the Pharaoh will return then we will fall!"

"Calm yourself, Seth," Akhenaden urged. In contrast to Seth, he was as calm as a stone. "What else transpired outside the city? What of the other priests?"

Seth took a breath through clenched teeth. "Shaada and Kalim remain at the cliffs, their search for the Pharaoh continues but without more men…" Seth paced to calm himself. "What of Isis?"

"She is up in the observatory and has been in deep meditation since yesterday."

"Of all the times for that woman to meditate," Seth said. "Now is a time for action! We must _do_ something. Without the Pharaoh, the Kingdom is doomed."

"The Kingdom can survive," Akhenaden said, "But not without someone on the throne."

"As I said, not without the Pharaoh," Seth repeated.

The old man shook his head. "No, Seth. You must observe all. Why has the Pharaoh disappeared? Perhaps this is the will of gods."

Seth did not understand what his mentor was talking about. "Without the Pharaoh we do not have control of the three Holy God Kas. We will not be able to defend ourselves."

"Then we will need an even more powerful Ka to fight Bakura," Akhenaden said with clarity. His will must have been strong, stronger than Seth's. "Did you not have a successful Ka-hunt within the city? Shaada told me you found some promising subjects."

"It is true." Which was odd, Akhenaden had not supported the Ka-hunt before, in truth he had condemned Seth for it. But his attitude had changed, perhaps with the present threats against the kingdom he too had realized the time for urgency. "A woman who harbors such a strong Ka that Shaada's Key reacted when he only stumbled upon her."

And at this Akhenaden's eyes widened with excitement. "This is it. Seth, with the power of that Ka you will be able to surpass the gods."

Akhenaden was acting odder still. Had the trauma of his near death the previous night changed him? "We have yet to form the creature. And a process has yet to be discovered as to how to grow these Ka that were collected from the city."

Akhenaden grinned. "I have already taken the liberty of beginning that investigation myself."

Seth started. "Akhenaden, when did you…?"

"Do you wish to see their progress, Seth?" Akhenaden asked and there was such pride on his face that Seth wondered if this was not Akhenaden at all. The elderly priest he knew would never relish the torment of others, certainly not instruct it.

Then again, the Kingdom was in danger.

Seth followed Akhenaden to the secret dungeon to find all the prisoners were gone. "Already growing their Ka," as Akhenaden assured. With each step down the stairs, Seth was more preoccupied with the change that had come over Akhenaden. But there was a change over the whole palace. Even Seth felt the influence of the pale-skinned Jounouchi. Never before had he felt the need to protect anyone besides the Pharaoh. And with the Pharaoh gone…

"Welcome to the arena, Seth," Akhenaden said and his old mouth stretched in a smile.

And Seth lost all concern about Akhenaden, or even for the Pharaoh…

It was an enormous underground cavern. Besides the finely carved ledge that Seth and Akhenaden had exited upon, the floor of the hall fell so deep that no torch light could reach the bottom. On the ledge where Seth now stood was a single throne carved out of the rock. Akhenaden motioned for Seth to sit there, though it was clearly meant for a king. Seth sat anyway and allowed himself to absorb the scene in front of him.

Extended from the ceiling by thick chains was a number of wooden platforms hovering above the endless pit below. It was a death match. Seth had arrived just in time to see two players rip apart a third between their two gigantic Ka.

Seth was speechless with wonder. For he was sure that neither of these people had such great a Ka when they had entered the arena.

"Amazing."

"Indeed." Akhenaden stood on the right side of the throne, a fatherly hand on his prodigy's shoulder. "I had Shaada assist for the first part, although he has not seen the finished product. He shaped their Ka with his Key and I extracted it."

"But with no severing from the body," Seth continued in fascination. Grotesque, yes, but the results were tremendous. "The Ka continues to grow for they are still attached to their masters. But how did you get such strength in such a short time?"

Akhenaden was grinning. "Sinners are quite easy to manipulate. I found fear is the quickest incentive. There were ten prisoners here at the beginning but after 34 hours of battle they understood the only way to survive was to kill. Their Ka grew with their desperation." And the old man put a hand on Seth's shoulder. "I knew you would appreciate my work, Seth."

"With this we can protect the Pharaoh," Seth said with certainty.

Akhenaden took his hand away. "Or the Pharaoh yet to come."

"Do not speak blasphemy, Akhenaden," Seth snapped. Yes, these Ka-monsters were great but this was not a sport. These monsters were gruesome now but they would be used to save the Kingdom and the Pharaoh. Wouldn't the King be pleased to see what Seth had created?

"Bring in the girl!" Akhenaden called.

A guard approached the priests. "There was a bit of a complication in getting the girl, my lord…"

"Do you have her?" Akhenaden demanded. The guard nodded in terror. "Then bring her in!"

And the women Seth had only seen unconscious or sleeping in her cell stumbled into the room. Her eyes shown with blue like the sky. Her skin looked even whiter in the torch light.

And brought in beside her, with his hands tied behind his back, was the yellow-haired, loud-mouthed Jounouchi.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

For someone who had deluded themselves into believing they were insanely in love with the Thief, Malik was acting pretty fucking ungrateful. Hadn't the King of Thieves spent the whole day with him? Hadn't he stayed to eat with him? Suffered through conversations? What more did the Thief have to do to get _laid_?

After that delightful encounter with Ryou in the morning, the Thief King had found Malik awake in a most disadvantageous mood for fornicating. He was gloomy! And Malik was never gloomy, at least he had never been so in the Thief's presence. He hadn't met the Thief's eye once during the entire meal. Fucking kid. Before he had been practically jumping on him. And _now_, just when the Thief _actually_ wanted him…

Ryou remained outside for a while where the Thief had left him. Pale-face didn't feel the need to move until the desert sun hit him around midday then he dragged his also gloomy self inside to avoid further burn from the desert sun. That had been a while ago. Now Ra was traveling down the sky towards the horizon.

Malik couldn't take his eyes off of Ryou, though the boy had done nothing to deserve it.

It was infuriating.

"What are you looking at pale-face for?" Past-Bakura took a hold of Malik's jaw and twisted it so that he and the Thief King's faces were… so very close.

Malik tugged himself away. "What? You care?"

"Fuck I care!"

Malik glared back at him "I'm going for a walk." And he turned to leave.

No. It wasn't _that_ fucking easy. "Good. We'll get water together."

"You said getting water was Ryou's job!" Malik cried, and then rounded on Ryou. "It's your job? Right? _Right_?"

It took a second for Pale-face to break from his stupor. "Um… can I stay out of this?"

The Thief laughed. Malik's anger was on him again. It was cute how those violet eyes tried so hard to be serious.

"_Fine_." And the guy dropped his remaining meal of bread and fruit. "_I'll_ get the water."

"What? You care?" the Thief snapped back.

Malik shot one last glare of fury before storming out of the shack, forgetting of course the very necessary water jug.

Ryou watched his friend's exit with a solemn air. "You know…"

"Oh," the Thief got up from his stool. "I know."

Of course, the Thief went after the little bastard. Malik was headed to the usual place where they got their water, a spring a little ways up from the Nile. But he had barely reached the place before he spun around to confront the Thief again. "Why are you following me?"

"Don't you recognize an invitation to be alone when you hear it, idiot?" the Thief said, ignoring Malik's question.

Malik was only slightly thrown off. "So you want to be _alone_ with me now? Well, _that's_ certainly changed."

What was this new attitude about? Malik should be fucking grateful the Thief wanted him! "Stop being a bitch."

Malik's eyes flared. It wasn't like all the other times when the Thief would insult him, apparently this new gloomy Malik took things personally. It was fucking annoying. He even turned back around, as though to get as far away from the Thief as he could get.

"Oh, fuck." This was tiring. The Thief grabbed Malik's arm before he could get him too far and yanked him back around. "What is _wrong_ with you today?"

"Let go!" Malik wriggled in his hold.

"Why are you being so difficult?" the Thief demanded.

"I mean it, _let go of me_!" Malik cried as he struggled.

But instead the Thief grabbed both of Malik's arms and twisted them, bringing the boy closer. He didn't care if he was hurting Malik now. Bitch deserved it. "You heard me and Ryou talking this morning?"

Malik's flailing stopped, face turned as far away as possible.

So he had. Ryou had been right, Malik had never been asleep. Shit.

"If you heard what I said, you should be happy," the Thief threatened.

"Happy to hear that you are _uncontrollably_ drawn to Ryou?" Malik snapped. "Should I be happy to hear you have to _force_ yourself to even look at me?"

"I don't want Ryou."

"But your soul does," Malik bit. His head was bowed, face to the ground. "Your— whole _being_ wants Ryou. Cause you two are connected…"

The Thief squeezed Malik's shoulders hard. "_I_ don't want him!"

Malik said nothing.

Anger singed. The Thief twisted Malik's arms again but this time so that Malik's face had to look up, although he was still looking away. The wetness in Malik's eyes only made the Thief more infuriated. "You think I'm like my future self then? I thought you prized me because we were different," he said, voice low. "I like what he likes then? You think I hold no control over my own opinions?"

"Ryou is a part of you!" Malik cried. Though his struggling had stopped it was as though he had given up. "Ryou carries your soul. He revived you so that you could defeat the Pharaoh. You _need_ Ryou!"

"And you think I would like to jaunt down the path of fate like an ignorant? Accept everything? You think I'm _that_ weak?"

Malik's eyes inched up, and met his.

Thief's face was so close to Malik's now. "I _want_ you. And I take what I want. Is that not the nature of a thief?"

Malik's body went limp. "Ryou was meant for you…"

The Thief shut the little bastard up with a kiss. A good slobbering one. Malik gasped but couldn't pull away, the Thief saw to that. As their tongues tied, Malik moaned, but it was hard, sorrowful… And his cheeks were wet.

The Thief broke their lips for a breath. "You are being _fucking_ odd today."

Malik sucked in a new breath like it took him a great deal of effort just to breathe. "I'm sorry, I don't think you can be my soulmate."

"What are you talking about?" the Thief said. It didn't mean anything, Malik talked nonsense sometimes. "You feeling sickly yet?"

Malik swallowed and shook his head. And their faces were so close, Malik's eyes squeezed shut to cut off the supply of tears.

"Good." The Thief took him again, this time to the ground. He pushed Malik into the sand and dirt. Malik arched his neck as the Thief bit his ear.

"People die fighting fate," Malik said, "I've seen it."

If the little bastard could still think, the Thief wasn't doing his job. So he crawled up to Malik's face and hissed while licking his lips, "Then let me die."

"_No_." Malik tore his head away from the ground. "What are you taking about? How can you say _that_?"

Thief pulled him back. What did he have to do for this kid? "Better than the boredom of a predicted life."

But Malik's eyes were swollen. His whole face seemed to be dripping. "I fought my fate for five years! And I got people killed."

And with a look like that, with his face still wet from crying and his eyes glowing more deadly than the midday desert, it had to have been the truth. Malik was too shallow to tell a lie; the Thief had known that since they first met.

And with that scary look Malik pulled himself out from under the Thief, stood, and turned back to the house. The sun was setting, the landscape burst into dying orange colors. The Thief cursed, punched the ground a little. And he had been so close to getting sexed too.

A few more curses and then the Thief got right back on his feet and sprinted to catch up to Malik, who was walking very determinedly back to the shack.

"So," the Thief slowed as he caught up with the little bastard. "You killed a few innocents. And that means I should become what you always wished you could be? Limp to the force of fate? Would that be better for me? Safer? Does that sound like how I operate?"

Malik's eyes were locked on his destination; he didn't miss a stride. The dying sun burnt his face dark gold. "My darker half killed people for five years because I didn't acknowledge his presence. He killed my father, tried to kill my sister and my older brother…"

The Thief scoffed, keeping easily in time with Malik's steps. "I don't fear your dark," the Thief said.

"That's not the point!" Malik cried.

"What is?" the Thief asked. "Please, educate me. I implore for your future wisdom."

"I won't let you die!"

There was something about Malik's face, something in the way his eyes squeezed all the way shut, that actually made the Thief King pause. "Now why would you say a thing like that?" the Thief wondered.

Malik's breathing was out of control. His head bowed as he reentered the house. Ryou hadn't moved since they left. He was still holding his Sennen Ring in his lap, contemplating it.

"I can't bring you back like Ryou." Malik gestured wildly at the pale boy. "The only thing I can do is make sure you don't get yourself killed."

"Who says I'm going to die?" the Thief snarled. He turned on Ryou. "Hey! Did _he_ say I was going to die?"

Ryou ripped his attention away from his Item, eyes wide.

"No," Malik claimed, stepping in front of Ryou. "He hasn't said anything like that." And since the guy was incapable of lying, this must have been the truth. "But if you keep doing these reckless things—"

But the Thief silenced Malik by smacking his hand over the little bastard's mouth. "Are you asking me to stop me ways?"

Malik swallowed. And his eyes met the King of Thieves again before he pulled the other guy's hand off his mouth. "No. I know you can't help it."

The Thief twisted Malik to him. "I am nothing but a wild force of self-control."

Malik shook his head, trying to pull away, but his face was softening. "You are an idiot."

"And you are a clingy slut," the Thief snapped. "Except for this moment when you're being neither clinging nor sluttish, which is rather irritating."

"You didn't seem to like me much before," Malik hissed.

The Thief barred his teeth. "Oh, I liked you. I just couldn't stand you."

"Fuck you," Malik snapped.

The Thief grabbed Malik's chin fiercely. "I was hoping you would."

"Ah…" Ryou stood up awkwardly, Item at his chest. The Thief had forgotten he was there. "I'll just… step outside then." And he turned out into the setting sun and kept walking. Good.

Now they were alone.

And Malik was weakening. "Don't go against Bakura."

The Thief jammed his knee in between Malik's legs. "You're bringing him up _now_?"

"Yes." And Malik grasped the King of Thieves neck in both of his hands and looked him straight in the eye, trying to keep focused. "Following his word is your best chance of survival. Trust him."

"Fuck him," the Thief drew Malik in. "You say the worst things at the worst times, you know that?"

Malik resisted, but only just. "If I can have you, really have you, then I refuse to lose you, bastard. You hear me?"

"Shut up." And the Thief took Malik up off his feet and smashed their mouths together. Hard. Malik gasped against their force, but quickly succumbed to the rhyme of the mouth moving with his. The Thief was tired of standing, so, picking Malik up, he brought the boy down on top of the table and continued to ravish him. His too clean hair, his slender arms, his smooth chest, the back of his legs… Malik curled his legs up to give Thief more access. Their mouths eternally connected, biting in sheer passion and something else. The Thief felt it in the tension of Malik's shoulders, the way the youth's fingers squeezed, desperate to feel, to cling, to hold on. Like this was it. Their only chance…

Or—more than likely—Malik hadn't gotten laid in a while. That must have been it.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Sometimes I marvel at how stupid people are in movies and anime. But if you really think about it, without stupidity there would be no conflict and therefore our lives would be quite boring. There's your little marbles of wisdom for today!

**REVIEW!**

You know, if I hadn't lost all my readers at this point. I promise that this story will be finished, again, it's mostly written already. It just might take some time, but it will be written! I promise.

**REVIEW!**


	15. The White Dragon Awakens

Firstly, _Dark Magician Leaf_, it's very hard to answer your questions when your Private Messaging is disabled so you might to look into that (if you go to Account then Settings you'll see you can Disable or Enable Private Messaging.) Secondly, it's super easy! Once you have your first story written, of course, (if you haven't then that's a whole other ballgame.) you go to the Publish tab and you click on Doc Manager (Upload), then you upload the word document. Then you go and click on New Story (also under the Publish Tab), agree to the Guidelines and just follow the instructions from there. It's very simple. Good luck!

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

**Chyaputa 15: The White Dragon Awakens**

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Yami no Yugi untangled himself from the depths of his meditation. It was night now. He looked up and saw nothing, no sky, no light. His head hurt from the strain of searching for the Pharaoh's heart in the landscape of the desert. He knew that finding the Pharaoh was the only way to speak to his aibou. He also knew that if his aibou was here, he would be able to find the Pharaoh within seconds.

Because aibou's heart rang for the Pharaoh.

And because Yami no Yugi knew this, his own heart was betraying him. Some dark greedy part of his soul did not want to find the Pharaoh. He could never admit it, but there was a part of him that wanted the Pharaoh to be found, strewn across the base of some ravine in pieces.

The awareness of that thought terrified him. Yami no Yugi did not scare. Or at least he didn't use to. Before Yugi's humanity had taken a hold of him. Now he found himself in the clutches of fear every day. Fear of losing Yugi to death, to the capture of his soul, to the Pharaoh. To the Pharaoh and his flesh and life. The two things Yami no Yugi could not simulate.

He had to find the Pharaoh. Find him for aibou. So Yami no Yugi gasped for air in the darkness, ready to plunge back into another fit of meditation. However restless and futile it might be.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Malik had to break free to breathe.

"Like it?" The Thief bit Malik's neck hard.

"—ah!" It might have been Malik just reacting to the pain of being bitten, but the Thief knew better.

Malik returned the favor. He clawed at the Thief's back with such fervency that his nails must have left red streaks. And the Thief pulled up the front of Malik's shirt and chewed on his fresh chest.

Of course—as it always did with Malik—it was just when things were getting good that it all turned to hell.

Malik gasped, and it was not the type of gasp the Thief wanted to hear. The Thief knew the difference. He had been waiting for Malik to change. After all, outside, the sun was setting fast. It had been only a matter of time.

Sure enough, Malik's face convulsed.

"No," he winced, hands flying up over his face. "No, I won't let him. Not now!" Malik was fighting back. Fighting back against his darker side.

The Thief was ready for this. He took Malik's head in both hands. "Malik."

Malik's eyes squeezed open. He was wasting away under the strain of holding back his darker half. "I _won't_ let him."

"I can't have a half-assed fuck with you," the Thief said with all the rationality he could muster. "I want you at the peak of ability, do you understand me?"

Malik flinched, his hands jumping up to his temples. "I don't—what…?"

"Let him out," the thief instructed.

Malik shivered. His mind was declining even at the idea. "I can't…"

"Malik," the Thief raked the boy's hair out of his face. "Do this for me." And, once again, the Thief reminded Malik of all he could offer with a zealous kiss.

Poor, poor Malik never stood a chance.

The change was quick. So quick that in the midst of the kiss, vicious teeth snapped and bit the Thief's bottom lip, almost ripping off a chunk. The Thief knocked the villian's head aside with his fist, which gave him the moment to escape with his mouth bleeding but not torn.

Malik's face had swelled, stretched. His eyes rolled so only the whites could be seen. The Thief was assaulted by four limbs at once, not counting a furious mouth. It was a little more than a desperate scramble really. What a pathetic dark spirit.

Under the table where dark Malik was sprawled upon were the chains that attached to the floor, where Malik had been restrained after his first outburst. The Thief had only to reach under the table, scoop up the manacles and snap them onto dark Malik's wrists. Then he stepped back and watched the beast writhe. And he did. Screeching at times too.

The Thief leaned against the opposite wall and took time to pick sand grains from his clothing.

"You're not going anywhere," the Thief said.

The creature gurgled, as though choking on its own laughter. "I need not go anywhere. As long as Main Personality is not yours. He's _mine_." The Thief approached the table. The beast was drooling in his enthusiasm to keep a hold of the body. "Filth like you will never have him."

"Is that so?" the Thief granted the creature his best unpleasant grin. "Then I guess I'll just have to do with you."

The beast that had taken Malik's body, started, his white eyes growing wide.

The Thief stretched his arm out the length of the table. "Yes, see, you've taken away my entertainment for the night. So you'll do as a substitute, don't you think?"

The creature grew still. "Who's to say I wouldn't enjoy it?"

"Please," the Thief grabbed not-Malik's chin, making sure his fingers dug into the jaw, "I would love for you to try."

"Stop."

As if the situation couldn't get more complicated.

With deep dread, the Thief King turned to find, Bakura, his future self in transparent form, had chosen _now_ of all times to wake up from his long nap. He had the nerve to lounge against the door frame as though he was fucking untouchable. The only good news was that he hadn't brought his weaker half with him. Things were complicated enough.

The Thief wasn't about to halt his plans for this bastard. "Want to join?"

His future self arched a brow. "In raping Malik? I'm good."

"I'll bite your fingers off," the creature spat, practically shivering with disgust at another's touch. "I'll dig out your eyes!"

"Sounds like my kind of fun," the Thief ran a hand on the inside of the creature's leg. Not-Malik gagged. The Thief threw his head back in a dry laugh.

"Before you proceed," Bakura said, mood as calm as a pond. "You should know, that thing, he's not another person. That's Malik you'll be molesting, thief. Do you think he would appreciate it if you scared his body and mind?"

The Thief wasn't intimidated. "Malik might be more open than you think."

Bakura glowered and stepped away from the entrance of the shack to stand next to the table where the Malik-creature was squirming against his restraints. "This consciousness is what you might call Malik's security system. And I'm afraid I can't let you take him forcefully. Because if you did, that would be bad for us."

"Security?" the Thief's attention was successfully pulled away from ravaging Malik. Suspicion returned in waves. "There more to your secrets you're not telling me then."

"If you tell him, Malik," Bakura said quickly as if seeing mischief blooming on the not-Malik-creature's face, "You'll put Main Personality at an even bigger disadvantage in the future."

The beast snapped his teeth. "If I _show_ him, you'd have no reason to seek Main Personality in the future. He would be all mine, for all of time. Even with Rishid around no one would have him but _me_."

"He'd still go to Yugi," Bakura reasoned. This was all in reference to something the Thief wasn't a part of. They were talking about his future. "Malik can't escape from his fate anymore than you can."

Dark Malik rattled his chains with sick glee. "Anymore than _you_?"

Bakura's face was stony. "I am no exception."

"This doesn't concern you!" the Thief had had enough. He took a discarded dagger from the floor and raised it. "Malik and I came to an understanding."

"Not all of Malik," Bakura corrected.

"_Shut it_!" the Thief was losing patience. "I'm done. I'm done with being told what to do. Being controlled by your knowledge and your world!"

"Your world?" and the slick way the bastard said it made the Thief almost summon Diaboundo for a showdown. Like a twinkle in his eye, Bakura was—as Ryou called it—as cool as ever. "You're at the crux of _our_ world."

"I never got your Eye!"

"That is true," but he didn't hide that he wasn't the least bit concerned. "Congratulations."

The Thief would have lunged at his future self, if Yami no Malik hadn't taken that moment to thrash and bite the Egyptian's arm. The Thief King directed all his previous rage at the beast inside of Malik, smacking him down on the table, hand around the boy's neck.

Yami no Malik choked out a gurgling laugh.

"Malik better be worth _this_." Though with the way things were going he wasn't totally against breaking the kid's neck right here.

Luckily the future-self swooped in just in time. Leaning closer to the table. "Malik, look at me."

The Malik-creature's diseased eyes spun toward the pale Bakura. His throat muscles flexed under the Thief's fingers. "I cannot be quenched. I cannot be destroyed. I am the darkness—"

"I am aware," Bakura agreed dryly. "But that's not going to stop this man from taking that nice body of yours and giving it a good pleasure thrashing."

The Thief was so startled he nearly lost hold of the creature. His future self was helping him out with Malik? Why? What was his motive?

Yami no Malik gagged and twitched at the thought. The creature couldn't handle another person's touch, because Malik couldn't get enough of it. In that way they were total opposites. Interesting.

"You have two options," Yami no Bakura explained. "You could give his body up to your lighter half and escape all those feelings that revolt you. Or you could cling onto the body and receive all that pleasure first hand." And the icy grin he used to seal the deal made it obvious which way the argument would go.

"He's mine—he can play all he wants but in the end—in the end—"

"Malik knows himself, knows _you_," Yami no Bakura said, "A lot better than you do."

More gurgles of laughter. The Thief's fingers almost slipped off the neck.

And there, _finally_, it was. The creature's face seemed consumed in pain, flexed. Then it melted and smoothed. Almost the same moment that the Thief released his hold on the neck did Malik's eyes blink back into their usual focus.

And a grin broke his face.

"You did it!" Malik tackled the Thief, as well as he could. His arms couldn't reach far but his legs wrapped themselves around the Thief's middle. "You did it!" he was shrieking with delight.

"Like it?" the Thief slid his arms around the kid's middle, bending down over the table. "And it's gonna last this time."

It didn't take long for the sleepy sex look to return to Malik's face. "Oh, I like it."

"_Malik_."

The Thief bristled. He lifted himself only far enough away so he could glance at his future-self. "Your help, appreciated. Now get out, unless you want to observe the positions we are going to perform."

Future self didn't even look at him. "Malik. Your promise."

Malik tossed his head in frustration. "Fuck it, Bakura! Can't you see how we're in the thralls of passion?"

Yami no Bakura was in no mood. "Have your night." But at least he turned to exit the shack. "But don't forget your legacy," he added on the threshold.

The Thief looked to see Malik's face turn sour. His fire dulled for a moment.

More fucking riddles.

But it was not long before the future-self was out in the night now, and with him gone, the Thief and Malik were so close and destined to be uninterrupted.

The Thief bit Malik's neck to break the boy from his gloom. "Still up for it?"

Malik yelped and then laughed. He was back. "_Oh_, I want to fuck!" he screamed.

"I've never been one to waste time." And the Thief snatched the boy right off the table, kicking the furniture away. Malik's laughter broke all the obstacles between them, as the two of them tumbled to the floor. Their mouths couldn't find each other fast enough. Malik choked on the enthusiasm filling his mouth. The Thief sucked so hard that he pulled the air out of Malik's lungs. He released the seal of their lips so the kid could catch a breath, but not a very long one.

Now. They were getting there. Their bodies shivered with the anticipation. The Thief was shivering. He couldn't remember a time when his sexing was so sloppy. With Malik it was almost unavoidable. The force he put into every motion needed to be equaled or fought against. Everything was about pleasure. There was no wasting time.

In the sake of not wasting time, the Thief's dove his hands under Malik's shirt.

It was a double shock then to have Malik break the seal of their lips and grab both his hands and yank them out.

"_What_?" the Thief growled.

Malik pouted at him. "Don't freak out, darling. I got one rule and you don't get to question it, got it? You don't get to take off my shirt, you don't get to look under it, or feel under it at all, ok?"

This killed the mood. "More secrets, right?" the Thief growled. "Fucking hell—any _other_ parameters I should know about?"

"Don't get sulky," Malik snapped.

He couldn't help it, fury sparked in the Thief. His temper had always been too quick. "Always _complications_!"

"_Listen_!" Malik flung his legs around the Thief's middle to keep him from going anywhere. "I'm gonna to fuck, tonight."

The Thief couldn't have gotten away if he had wanted to, that doesn't mean that he wasn't still pissed. "Really? With yourself?"

"Cut the crap, we've been through this," Malik told him simply. "You've wanted me ever since I stole your drink in the bar that first night. You're not giving this up now."

"And you think…" the Thief planted his fists on either side of Malik's head. "You think you're _that_ irresistible, do you?"

Unabashed, Malik nodded. "Oh yeah."

The Thief couldn't help it. His mouth broke into a grin. "Cocky bastard."

Malik arched his back so their bodies curled into each other, like the perfect fit, delivered with a cheeky smirk. "Face it, you're set on me."

The Thief couldn't deny it for long. His own body was betraying him. And the truth was Malik was just as irresistible as he made himself out to be. Flushed rich skin and all.

The Thief's mood had cracked. The heat was back and there was no return now. The way Malik manipulated him was too skillful, and even a little bit scary, but so damn hot.

"Then the chains are staying," the Thief said, "As punishment."

And without further hesitation, the Thief took Malik into his command. And the supple, submissive Malik never complained. Quite the contrary.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Seth was so shocked to see Jounouchi dragged in with the female prisoner that he feared for a moment his composure had broken. One glance at his mentor and Seth was assured. Akhenaden was fixated on the new prisoners and had not been aware of Seth's moment of weakness. Seth collected himself. What kind of _idiot_ got caught by the same guards _twice_?

They must have beaten Jounouchi again for he was not moving with his regular strength and his left eye looked swollen. Seth saw him glance over the arena without much more emotion than vague interest in the bottomless pit. Then Seth remembered sharply that because of his lack of magical abilities Jounouchi couldn't see Ka monsters.

Akhenaden was also displeased by Jounouchi's appearance. "I tell you to fetch the girl and you bring me an extra felon?"

"He was found breaking into the prison, my lords," one of the guards answered.

"He is a fool then," Seth said, and tried very hard to sound like he had not come to this conclusion before.

Jounouchi, who was aware of Seth, jerked in the guards' hold. "Nice, real nice, Seth," he spat. He spoke in Japanese, but even Akhenaden caught Seth's name in his words.

Akhenaden grew suspicious. "Seth, do you know this man?"

"He was found on the streets for his obvious discrepancies." Seth admitted as briefly as possible. "I attempted to interrogate but was interrupted by Bakura's attack on the temple. He escaped in the confusion." So why return to the prison he had gotten away from? And where was his sidekick and Seth's nemesis? The Kaiba. Jounouchi should not be here.

"Tell them to free my hands at least," the blond complained. When Seth refused to react to his commands, Jounouchi struggled even more. "_Oi! Kono yarou! Kotaerou!_" he cried, preferring to curse in his native tongue.

"Does it speak our language?" Ahkenaden asked, watching Jounouchi with more attention than he deserved.

"No." Seth said pointedly. "He's so primitive that I could not even place our language in its mind with the Holy Sennen Rod without destroying it."

Jounouchi shut his mouth. Perhaps he was starting to understand the necessity that their acquaintance be kept a secret. The blond satisfied himself by grumbling. "Jerk."

"I don't know why it's here," Seth said pointedly, careful to not look at Jounouchi. Meanwhile his mind burned with thought: how could he get Jounouchi to safety without compromising himself? Then a second question even more ridiculous came to mind: why did he care so much about keeping Jounouchi safe?

Jounouchi answered Seth's question. "I came to save her. The girl you're about to _torture_ or toss in a pit or whatever you bastards are doing down here."

The girl, pale skin and blue eyes, was still. She was too calm in a situation where she was obviously at a disadvantage. Even her eyes were frozen on Seth. It was eerie. The priest didn't like it at all.

"I don't believe it has any other fellows. They would have been with him, don't you think?" Seth said, looking obviously to Akhenaden.

"We got separated." Jounouchi jumped in, realizing in a flash of brilliance that the statement had been directed towards him. The guards held him still but he thrashed. "Kaiba's somewhere around here! He'll come for me. He always does!"

Seth shot Jounouchi a subtle look.

The blond reddened. "We're not like that…"

"He is nothing," Seth repeated with as much casual air as he muster. "The girl on the other hand…"

"Yes." And Akhenaden turned to the female. The look in the old man's face was an emotion dangerously similar to hunger. "I anticipate seeing much from her today."

The guards had not felt the need to restrain the girl in question as they had Jounouchi. Then again her limbs were thin. Even given a chance, she could not have fought them off. She probably couldn't even make it up the dungeon stairs.

"Woman," Seth called to her. "What is your name?"

The girl's body had to struggle to make speech. "Kisara, my lord." She bent at the waist like she had been broken that way. "Thank you."

What was she thanking him for? Seth found himself fighting a wave of revulsion. Simply looking at her made Seth nauseous. Only the need to not show weakness stopped him from turning away.

"She will enter the arena," Akhenaden decided, returning to Seth at the throne.

"She will what?" Jounouchi asked, sensing the danger though he could not see it. "What's going on?"

"When faced with the threat of the two other Kas, her holy Ka-monster, already shaped by Shaada's Key before, will surely emerge without the assistance of my Eye." Akhenaden circled Seth's throne, gaze fixed on the remaining two prisoners inside. "The moment she senses her death is near she'll be forced to protect herself."

"What?" Jounouchi thrashed, head twisted with new urgency to the arena and back again. "No, you can't do this! Those guys will kill her! She hasn't done anything wrong!"

Seth ignored Jounouchi, reminding himself it was to save the blond's life. As long as Jounouchi remained safe his efforts would be enough. Who was this female anyway? She was different than the other pale-skins, who all seemed to know each other. She was a native of Egypt, which meant Jounouchi couldn't have met her before a couple of weeks ago. She couldn't possibly be anything precious to him.

"If she can't see the monster-Ka it won't matter, she won't even be aware of the threat," Seth said and then immediately furious with himself afterwards that he had even attempted to protect the female on Jounouchi's behalf.

He should have known Akhenaden would not waver. "With her power? If it is as powerful as you say it is, she should be able to see Ka as well as Ba."

"I can see the monsters, my lord," the female, Kisara, answered, bowing again to Seth. Obedient to a fault.

So she did want to die. Or she knew exactly what she was doing. Either way. Seth felt himself liking the woman less and less.

"Excellent." Akhenaden motioned to the guards. "Lower the bridge to the arena and let her through."

"Stop!" Jounouchi cried. "You can't let them do this!" His legs kicked out. He was causing real trouble now. And Seth could not stop him without putting himself at risk.

Kisara did not seem to mind the guards as they shuffled her forward, towards the edge of the cliff.

"Throw the extra prisoner in the arena as well," Akhenaden instructed.

"Akhenaden," Seth rose from his chair, before he had even realized what he had done so. "I cannot condone this. I know that prisoner does not have a speck of magic in him. He cannot possibly see the Ka, let alone summon his own to defend himself."

Akhenaden put his hand on Seth again, but this time he squeezed his shoulder. If Seth didn't trust Akhenaden so much, he would have almost thought it was a threat. "Then he will provide sport for the others. Perhaps their powers will grow simply by the thrill of bloodshed."

The bridge that lead to the arena was being lowered. And Jounouchi was being pushed by the other guards closer to it.

"Enough of this Akhenaden!" Seth's words turned ruthless without his leave. "What has come over you to make you act so strange? Destroying a man for the sake of it has never been your way!"

Akhenaden pulled his precious student closer; the closed distance fudged Seth's thoughts. "You know as well as any, these are desperate times. Seth, I tell you this because you must accept it: the Pharaoh is dead."

For the first time in his life, Seth pulled away from his mentor. "You are wrong. Return that prisoner!" he shouted at the guards holding Jounouchi.

"Ignore that order," Akhenaden said, so calm that Seth was insulted. The guards complied with Akhenaden's words.

"It's ok!" Jounouchi shouted back at him. "I'll protect her! No matter how many invisible enemies there are!"

The _idiot_! Seth's thoughts ran, too fast for him to come to any conclusion. "Akhenaden, I beseech you—"

"No, Seth." Akhenaden's voice might have been calm, but his face was twisted. Seth felt himself recoil. "You must accept that the Pharaoh is dead. You must put aside your improper feelings for the Pharaoh and rationalize like a priest for the sake of the Kingdom."

Seth rejected the truth from Akhenaden's words. There was nothing improper about his feelings for the Pharaoh. Not anymore… "If we believe the Pharaoh is dead then the Kingdom is lost!"

The bridge to the arena was down, the female was being shoved across it. There was no time.

"The Kingdom can still be saved if we have a new Pharaoh, a new king." Akhenaden forced Seth's head away from the bridge. "Seth, you will be that new King."

Seth's brain was stuck. This was not Akhenaden as Seth had knew him. This was not the good old man that had taught Seth everything he knew.

The female had crossed into the arena. Jounouchi was right behind her, hands now unbound, he rushed after her. Did he think he could protect her against monsters he himself could not see? The fool! The bridge was still in place, they could run back.

But the other two prisoners became aware of Jounouchi and the woman. Seth could hear their murderous voices from across the chasm.

"What's this? A girl and a powerless boy? Neither even have Ka!"

"Sounds like fun," the other said. "I'd take a break."

"Seth! You are the Kingdom's hope now," Akhenaden was still raving. "With that girl's Ka you will be more powerful than the all Three Gods—"

Seth watched as the two prisoners, their two enormous Ka's in tow, close in on Jounouchi and the female. Their only hope now was if the girl summoned her Ka to defend them. If she wanted to die that was fine, but she must not allow Jounouchi to perish along with her…

But that seemed to indeed be the case! The girl was just as froze in the arena as she had been in front of Seth. She made no motions that indicated fear or even worry! In contrast, Jounouchi took her by the shoulders and urged her to flee to another platform.

The girl would not save them. Jounouchi would die.

Seth moved away from Akhenaden. Though he didn't care for the girl he would not let an innocent die. That was the whole reason behind saving the Kingdom, or else why not hand it over to Bakura?

"Seth!" Akhenaden called to him, but Seth was already reaching for his Sennen Rod.

Incredibly—later Seth would assume that his guards had all been distracted by the battle of Ka in front of them to react faster—before Seth could reach the platform, a blur from someone running at great speed shoved passed him. Seth was startled enough to stop.

Kaiba—the man had somehow gotten into the dungeons; and, as Seth watched, he jumped for the bridge into the arena.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Ryou was lost. Or he felt lost. He had to keep turning around to look back at the shack, just to make sure it was still there. It was the only distinctive feature in the whole, smooth landscape. The desert extended outward, dark and formless. How could anyone find their way in this lifeless place?

Oh. Yes, of course, the stars. Away from the smog of the Pharaoh's city, there were suddenly thousands—millions—of them.

It wasn't even that long until his darker half, or the illusion of his darker half, walked back from the shack. His pace was even. He must have accomplished his goal.

Ryou tried his best not to look like he had been panicking for the last ten minutes. "Malik's doing ok?"

Perhaps those were not the best words of greeting. But Bakura's expression didn't seem to be affected by it. "He seems to be enjoying himself."

Ryou breathed. He tried to make it seem like he was relieved about Malik, but truly he was just glad his darker half was back. "Good. Malik deserves it."

Bakura made no further comment. He was still standing, staring out, not at the landscape or the vast array of stars, like he was thinking hard—a look that, now that he and his host were separated, Ryou had seen too often. If Ryou had been Malik, or anyone more confident, he would have dragged the dark spirit down into the sand with him. But he wasn't. And sitting in the sand didn't suit a spirit as proud and as ancient as he.

"Malik can have as much fun as he wants, granted the mission is up held."

Ryou had never been told what the mission was, but he could guess. "Can Malik…" Ryou felt his temperature rocket to burning levels in his cheeks. "You know… while hiding the carvings on his back?"

"Malik's much more flexible than one would think," the spirit said.

If Ryou didn't know who he was talking to he would have thought this was a joke. But it wasn't. Not that Ryou could really say he _knew_ the spirit.

And just when Ryou was getting used to the spirit towering over him… the spirit lowered himself to sit in the sand. Almost close to Ryou too.

Ryou hid his awkwardness with more conversation. "It's getting to him, the Ring, and now the Puzzle. Dorobo-san almost ate me this morning."

"I'm surprised he held himself back."

After that day, Ryou felt understood Dorobo more. After all, Ryou could barely restrain himself from reaching out at this moment. With the spirit so close…

"You knew he would," Ryou said. "Or else you would've come out."

"Don't count on it," Yami no Bakura said. "You can't always count on me."

Ryou swallowed. He couldn't see the truth in this. "Everything has been fine so far."

The movement beside Ryou distracted him beyond anything. He was too cautious to even move, before he realized the spirit was leaning towards him. Ryou froze in the warm night air of the desert.

The spirit had reached out to Ryou. But before Ryou could get too freaked out he noticed the hand was heading to the Ring Ryou was wearing oh-so-openly on his chest. Perhaps not the smartest decision.

"The Ring…" the spirit began, for that was what the object was, "Cannot sustain me indefinitely." And then the spirit's eyes flickered up to Ryou's face and back down again. "Don't worry. I'm not talking about any time soon." Ryou hadn't even been aware of the own horror on his face. "I'll outlive your mortal life by hundreds, thousands of lifetimes maybe."

So nothing lasted forever… Ryou fought his inner turmoil to keep listening. He had to keep listening.

"Like your human body, the illusion of me you see before you needs rest. The more activity it goes through, the more easily it is tired out. Like if I expend a lot of energy using shadow magic, but also little things like being audible, visual, tangible, that affects it too."

He was telling Ryou that he had tired himself out the night before because he had spent the night holding him.

"Tangibility takes the most energy."

And he touched the Ring on Ryou's chest. Ryou's stomach rocked.

How could the spirit let Ryou stare so openly, so obviously? Perhaps it was on purpose…? Ryou shivered.

"Are you cold?"

Ryou was frozen. But it wasn't because of the weather. "No. Not at all."

He was a trembling, mumbling idiot.

The spirit dropped his hand from Ryou's chest. Was he disappointed that Ryou hadn't taken his invitation? Had it been an invitation? But the hand dropped to stop at Ryou's hands.

Ryou stared as the spirit touched the back of his hands.

"See that."

Ryou didn't see anything but those fingers. "I don't think so."

Bakura pulled at the boy's fingers. "This." Like spiders across Ryou's skin, Bakura took his wrist next. "Couldn't do this before."

"No…" Ryou could only watch. It occupied all this thought. The tingle was bad. Ryou's head…

Bakura was concentrating on their hands, Ryou's palest arms. Ryou could only look at that face with down turned eyes. Ryou saw that face. That one he had never seen before three days ago.

"Or this." Bakura's nails crawled up the inside of his arm. Ryou tried not to show that his mouth had parted, only the slightest, waiting for his breath to come back.

It wasn't like Ryou hadn't had dreams about… this. His mind wandering. Thinking about what ifs… hypotheticals. Everything in between. But it was all fantasies. Ryou wasn't naïve. He had friends like Jounouchi and Honda, even Yugi, who watched videos and talked about these things… Ryou had been present for these conversations. But he had never done anything. Not like…

Ryou knew Bakura had had a relationship with Malik. During Battle City, a time that Ryou still had trouble recalling. He had felt it, the moments when his darker half had been with Malik. Even though he was unconscious, when he woke up in his own body again he knew. It was like everything smelled different. Even though his Yami made sure that there was nothing for him to see. He always knew the act had happened.

But now, Ryou and his spirit were leaning close together. Hands tangled. Did he and Malik ever do this? Ryou could never ask.

Bakura's mouth was hard, twisted, like there were words trapped behind it. The silence was draining.

Ryou wanted to say something, get him talking again. His fingers had quit moving. Knees together, Bakura's hands on Ryou had his arms outstretched, palms up and full of moonlight. Like sacrifices to the gods, waiting.

"What do I call you?" Ryou asked. His eyes never left Bakura's face.

"What you want," Bakura answered, in his usual vague phrasing. "You'll always be Yadonushi to me." And the spirit's touched the length of his arms again, tracing them with the tips of his fingers.

Ryou found his breath speeding. He hadn't even decided to do it.

"Yadonushi…"

The most beautiful sound in the world.

And Ryou was suddenly inspired. As the spirit touched his arms, in larger circles every time, Ryou suddenly found the spirit's legs tantalizing. So slowly, as though he were going to be caught, Ryou ran the briefest, lightest touch down the spirit's calf. When the limb ended, his hand had no choice but to travel back up again.

They were… what were they… Ryou's mind was blank.

He could only concentrate on his task. Drifting his fingers up the jean material of the spirit's leg. Was it his imagination or was the spirit's touch getting faster, both hands glided over Ryou's wrists to his shoulders now.

Ryou's hands understood this spirit had legs. But what about a chest? Ryou watched as his own hands betray him as they found a solid chest. It didn't feel like an illusion. He felt ribs, muscle beneath his shirt… surely there was more skin there too.

But before Ryou could move on, he was distracted as the spirit's hands left his shoulders. Instead of returning to the arms, the spirit's hands slid up his neck. Ryou shuddered and warmed. The hands drifted further up into the boy's hair. Fingers curling in his mass of locks and tugging at his scalp. And it felt good. It felt.

It was as though Ryou was hypnotized. He must have been. The regular Ryou would have never touched the spirit's neck. The smoothest neck… They had each other by the skulls. Their heads poised, leaning in together.

Only now did Ryou notice the spirit's mouth had relaxed. His eyes were squeezed shut though, as though bracing himself. While Ryou couldn't keep his wide enough, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

They breathed together. Faces encircled by each other's hands.

Ryou knew the next step. He had hoped he wouldn't have to initiate it.

Their foreheads touched. The spirit's hands were mad in his hair. It made Ryou's will all the more fuzzy.

Ryou considered stopping himself. Was he going too far?

The spirit wouldn't open his eyes. He wasn't acting. Would they stay in this position forever? Ryou was so much more foolish.

Ryou dived forward. Too rushed, too clumsy, their mouths fumbled for a moment. But only a moment. They found their center in the end.

Ryou was kissing his spirit.

He wasn't sure how it was done, but he had an idea. The spirit helped, then took over. Softest of mouths. Soft and nice…

Until the spirit pushed himself away.

Ryou obeyed. Now that it was too late. The deed was done. They could never go back.

The spirit did not take his hands off his Yadonushi, but he held the boy's head away. "I didn't see this…"

Ryou was out of breath. "You see what your past self saw, right? Perhaps he never knew because he's with Malik now."

The spirit snorted, then rushed back into Ryou. "My clever, clever, Yadonushi…"

He had Ryou around the middle, hands rushing up the boy's back, as though molding him. Ryou touched every part of the spirit's he could find. Mouths always connected. Breath was a harsh job. Ryou's only thought was to feel. His spirit could only be solid for so long. Any second and he could disappear again. Back into the Ring, like he never even existed.

The spirit's hands pulled at him, at his clothes. Ryou wanted him to… the back of his shirt drifted up, the spirit exploring the free skin underneath. Ryou trembled at the new sensation. It was wonderful. So wonderful. His spirit was wonderful.

Ryou thought he knew the direction their actions were heading. And he wanted to do everything to speed up the process. So he separated his mouth from the spirit's, grabbed his own shirt and pulled it up over his head.

The desert air was surprisingly cool on his freed skin. Ryou flung himself back into the warmth of his spirit's arms, mouth diving for the spirit's kiss…

"Hold yourself."

Ryou's eyes broke open to find the spirit smirking. Smirking at him? Why…?

He had done something wrong. Ryou's chest ached with the realization. What had he…? He had ruined…? "I-I'm sorry."

But the spirit did not let the boy pull away. "Don't." And the illusion of his darker half squeezed his shoulders, pulling the boy closer. "You've never done this before."

Ryou shivered. With the loss of activity, his body was losing heat fast to the night breeze.

"You." The spirit stroked his hair. "You _keep_ surprising me." The ancient spirit sighed. "Taking the initiative, throwing yourself around. It's not like you."

Ryou couldn't stop the shaking in his limbs.

"Oi." The spirit yanked up the boy's head so he could examine his face. His eyes were so dark and ancient. "_Never_ feel ashamed around me. You never did when I was in your mind. You let me have your most intimate thoughts there." His mouth turned into a smirk again. "You've let me see this side of you before."

Ryou swallowed. His humiliation was too much. "It's different now."

"How?" The spirit's eyes twinkled.

And panic bubbled up in Ryou without him knowing. "You… you said…" Ryou swallowed again but he couldn't stop the pour of his emotions. Like the tears forming in his eyes. He hadn't cried in so long. He never did. So why now? "You have a body."

"An illusion."

"It's real to me!" Ryou blurted out. His fingers twisted around the spirit's arm, squeezing too hard, absorbed in its solidness. "And how long is it going to last? We may only have a few days like this! If we go back—if when all this is over—if you go back to the Ring… I'll never have you."

Silence stretched. Ryou wanted to hide. He was such a child. And the spirit was so ancient. He didn't have time to deal with whining kids.

"I'm sorry," Ryou repeated. "I shouldn't say such inappropriate things."

"Was kissing me a mistake then?"

"No!" Confused, Ryou tried to search the spirit's face. But the spirit had him trapped.

"Yadonushi, I am perfectly aware that if I asked you to," the spirit's eyes turned dangerous, "You'd give yourself to me tonight."

The boy inside of Ryou screamed in terror. Screaming with teenage lust. The desert hummed with energy.

The spirit smirked. "Yadonushi, stop trying to beat your own thoughts. I like your thoughts. They entertain me. _Especially_ when they are inappropriate."

Ryou opened his mouth to speak, but found his lips obstructed by the spirit's mouth.

"I shall have you," the spirit promised, as he sealed their kiss. He glowed with command in the night. "I _would_ have you. But I have to reserve myself for the final battle. As I said, tangibility and action consumes energy."

Ryou, more dazed than relieved, still clung to the spirit's arms. "You won't stay with me at least?"

The breath was knocked out of the Japanese boy as he was shoved backwards onto the ground.

The spirit pulled his illusionary body on top of Ryou's. "Do not fear." He bit Ryou's neck, as his hands ravaged the boy's naked torso. Ryou bent himself to the spirit's touch, basking in it. And as the spirit nibbled his collarbone, he hissed through his work, "You cannot lose me, even if you wanted to. The Items exist in our future world, just as they exist now. The same phenomenon of an illusion can be created again."

Ryou inhaled so he would not scream with delight.

"You're cursed with me."

"One can only hope," Ryou agreed.

The spirit tugged Ryou's shoulders off the ground so his mouth could meet the spirit's waiting jaws. The boy did his best to cling onto his spirit's shoulders, responding with enthusiasm. Ryou's lips could not escape, even if he had wanted them to. It was as though the spirit was trying to convey… something with all the pressure he was putting on Ryou. The boy's mouth was abused and nursed by the spirit's, and he writhed in every second of it.

After long moments, the spirit released Ryou, stunned, out of breath. His lips felt hot, almost swollen.

The spirit's black eyes had him. He straddled Ryou as his ancient hands covered the length of the boy's bare chest, and for a moment Ryou thought he was going back on his word.

"Please, put your shirt on."

Ryou did, without complaint. When the deed was complete he was dragged back into the sand and covered by the spirit's arms. Ryou gazed up at the sky, his whole body shivering with awe.

"Tell me what you are thinking."

After he had caught his breath, Ryou said, "I want to help you on your mission."

"Our mission," the spirit corrected harshly. "You are a part of it. Never forget that."

Ryou turned his head towards the spirit. "But I don't know what I am supposed to do to help."

"Everything you will do, you have already done. You couldn't screw things up if you wanted to."

Like Dorobo, but Ryou kept that thought to himself.

The only thing Ryou could do was breathe, breathe and gaze at the sky. He would not sleep. His body was too alive with desires that could not be satisfied. Not, at least, until later. His spirit's eyes were closed, as though he were sleeping, but they both knew he couldn't. Neither of them moved the entire night, the spirit continually pressing Ryou hard to his chest, Ryou watching the stars rotate as the night rolled on.

They remained this way until the spirit disappeared back into the Ring, needing rest after a long night of tangibility.

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

Keeping Kisara and himself out of harms way seemed, during those first few seconds, futile. Jounouchi didn't lie to himself, faced with foes he could not see, that the two of them had any chance. He had a few fleeting existential thoughts, about what he had accomplished in his life, how his sister would deal with his death, but mostly he was much too distracted with his own immanent death to dwell. The best he could manage was stumbling from one hanging platform to the next, pulling Kisara behind him.

He hadn't even noticed Kaiba had arrived until he heard above the din, "Jounouchi, _left_!"

Jounouchi's brain froze. "Kaiba?"

Meanwhile, he had forgotten to go left.

Pain burst from the center of Jounouchi's back to his shoulder. He wasn't used to cuts, blunt fists were one thing. Cuts bled, a lot. And now Jounouchi was bleeding.

He clung to Kisara, and over her, he spotted Kaiba kick one of the prisoners over the edge of the hanging platforms. He imagined that got rid of at least one of the invisible monsters.

But he couldn't stop moving. Jounouchi pulled Kisara's thin shoulders toward Kaiba. _Kaiba_. He had come for Jounouchi. He always would.

Jounouchi's vision spun. He had underestimated his own injury. But if he could get to Kaiba everything would be fine.

He tripped over his own feet. He fell partway across the platform and found that he was too weak to get up. _Shit_. Kisara didn't leave him. She held his hand and brushed his hair, cooing like she was his mother or something. Who was this girl?

"Jounouchi!"

"Kaiba?" No. It was Seth's tan face leaning over his. Seth who was kneeling by him.

Kaiba was not looking to Jounouchi at all.

Kaiba was pulling Kisara away. The girl let go of Jounouchi and followed him to her feet.

Kaiba was holding Kisara's body to his own.

Jounouchi thought he was hallucinating. Kaiba didn't like her, Kaiba liked _him_!

But as he watched Kisara raise her arms to accept Kaiba's embrace, it seemed as though the blue in both their eyes connected. And then the two of them… exploded.

It was the only explanation Jounouchi could come to. There was light. And though Jounouchi knew he could not see Ka he thought he saw the light stretched out into an odd animal shape. It was only for a moment. After that there was a scream, apparently from the last remaining prisoner as he was incinerated but the light.

Seth was all Jounouchi could see for a few moments. And even he was gazing up at all the light, seeing something Jounouchi couldn't.

When the light had subsided, Kaiba was holding an unconscious Kisara in his arms. And Kaiba was looking at her in a way Jounouchi had never seen him look at a woman before.

Jounouchi's pain tripled.

* * *

—()—()—()—()—()—()—

* * *

Jounouchi's Japanese: "Hey! Asshole! Answer me!"

Yep, pretty long chapter too. YOUR WELCOME.

Truthfully. That last scene with Jounouchi, Kaiba, Seth, and Kisara, is probably like my favorite scene that I have ever written ever. Even better than the Bakura and Ryou "sex" scene, which I also love. It just meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeans sooooo much, you know? Yeah.

**REVIEW!**

HA! so... JUST released this while updating. The title of this chapter is the White Dragon awakens, right? (giggle) so. yeah. I'll let you discover those innuendos for yourself. teehee. :p

**REVIEW!**


End file.
